Makes you realsie that Helga is the "oopsie" baby of the family, especially since there's a massive age gap between her and Olga. Her parents re so wrapped up in their eldest that they completely forget that they have a seccond child. A sadly realistic family life.
@@BrightWulph yes i agree! Thanks for contributing this idea. i commented similarly, I didn't even think about the age gap as part of it. And I just noticed big Bob constantly forgetting her age!. this channel has the best comment section for discussion
A B+ throwing Olga into a depression is so sad, her parents tied her worth so tightly to her accomplishments that she really thinks she worthless because she got anything less than perfect
I used to teach AP Calculus and AP Stats classes for very bright high schoolers. That scene is pretty accurate. Kids who got As their whole lives just totally crumbled when they struggled for the first time. They were good kids. I did a lot of consoling.
That moment when Dr. B says "So no one has ever noticed you?" and Helga responds sadly "There was someone" always makes me cry. Can you imagine at 4 or 5 years old, feeling like you finally get noticed by a stranger and now, your desire is to be noticed by that person at all times...that's so powerful to think about from a children's perspective.
One thing not noted in this video is that the name Helga comes from the name Olga. Her parents were literally trying to have a second Olga when they named Helga, and were disappointed that she wasn't the same. She's forever in Olga's shadow even by name.
Yes, I noticed that. I felt so bad for Helga because she’s forever in Olga’s shadow. I know how that feels; both my “older sister” aka my biological aunt, my dad and I all have the same initials - JR. I like my initials, and it’s nice to have a tribute to my dad. But really? My aunt and I have the same initials because my aunt was raised as an older sister. So, in essence, I lived in her shadow too.
@@oooh19 I hated her guts actually, but she started it. She was vicious to me my entire life - seriously, since I was an infant; she tried to kill me once that I know of - and went out of her way to destroy my family, let alone what little of a relationship we could’ve had. I’d rather have Olga as a sister, as smothering as she can be. At least she’s trying to make up for her mistakes. My aunt never did. She was as nasty as they came until her last breath. I wanted to tell her exactly how I felt about her but she killed herself before I had a chance to yell at her about how rotten she was to me. If we’d had that fight I would’ve made more of an effort to get along with her. As it was, as horrible as this is, I have to be honest about how relieved I was when she killed herself. I feel guilty every time I think about that day because it’s a terrible thing to be happy about someone dying, no matter how awful they are. As horrible as she was to me, though, she was even worse to her oldest son, if such a thing can even happen. Yeah, she was evil - but so am I. At least I admit it. Right? So yeah, living in evil’s shadow is a nightmare, to say the least.
@@lunarlight3131 in terms of the media we grew up with it was good, we had shows with real morals and handled more serious topics without watering them down or treating their child audience like a bunch of dumb idiot drooling toddlers.
@@starlette7820 the media was fine. i'm just saying it was still rough, bullying, it was much more cutthroat. there weren't cameras and phones everywhere so shit just went down whenever wherever.
I never thought of it before, but this video made me realize Olga was also deeply traumatized by her parents. She probably saw the beginnings of her mom's alcoholism and her dad's rage, but also saw that it "stopped" whenever she performed/was perfect. She might have even been acting perfect to get her parents to pay attention to her and not abuse baby Helga. I'm sure a baby crying would have infuriated Bob, and stressed Miriam more. To Olga as long as she was perfect her parents were kind and happy. She probably saw her constant performance as a sacrifice she was making for her baby sister so Helga could fly under the radar and just be herself. Helga herself rejected the pressure of being forced to perform by Bob in the spelling bee. Honestly both of those parents are horrible and never should have had children. I'm so glad this show tackled their lives as far too many children have Bob and Miriam as their parents.
thats a super deep insight and makes her a little more likable to me. I never cared for Olga, being the 5th of 6 children and most of my older siblings being considered geniuses. I, like Helga, became the artistic one, so I always related to her deeply. But you gave me something to think about.
A quick important add. Olga only ever saw her parents as happy/"healthy", never their horrible selves. Bc whenever she went home Bob was pleasant, Miriam was put together. She could have thought her staying "perfect" meant Helga could grow up with good parents. Hence why she continued to be "perfect" even after moving out. To her, Helga got to have good parents as long as she, Olga, constantly gave them something to proudly focus on. She never knew that the moment she left Helga was neglected/abused. I wonder what would have happened if Helga opened up to Olga about how their parents really act? Would Olga have tried to take Helga in?
"hey helga, was that your mom?" "as a matter of fact, arnoldo, it was." "when did she get her license back?" - wow this one flew straight over my head as a kid, damn.
Helga on the couch is seriously one of the best episodes ever, and made me feel brave enough to go see a psychologist when my parents got divorced! Great video!!!
My Mother and I watched this episode when I was a kid and it was a HUGE reason why she sought therapy for her childhood trauma. It made her realize how abuse and neglect from when we are kids can linger with us long after and how learning healthy coping mechanisms make life better. Truly an amazing show
@GirlGeek723 I love that! Mental healthcare is so important and being brave enough to break the stigma is so badass! We can all take our “Helgas” to the couch and learn to better cope and express ourselves 💕
I think Helga is a really relatable character for a lot of girls out there, especially those with neglectful parents. It's a big reason why so many girls cling to boyfriends who are jerks to them. Because their fixation on romance and boys is a coping mechanism for the parts of her life that hurt her and she doesn't know how to deal with.
It is called limerance , a traumatic response of cPTSd ... now adays trauma can be healed through memory reconsolidation applied on good therapy . But many people ignore this
I never realized how much I resonated with her until now and I'm all grown up! Many years and and a great therapist later I can see that my quirks weren't just my spicy personality as a kid but response to my situation.
I saw a take that said Helga demonstrates signs of trauma with her relationship to food. She can't rely on regular meals, so when she does get food she either eats excessively (like at the fancy restaurant) or rations it out over days (like the pork rinds). This also leads to digestive issues; we hear Miriam remind Helga to take constipation medication. But stress and anxiety can also be a cause for digestive ailments. Olga shared a story of Helga routinely wetting the bed until she was 7 years old - it's played for laughs but this paints a picture of Helga's neglect and fears manifesting throughout the crucial years of her childhood development. Poor girl has barely any control over her life.
I noticed how her subtle but intentional hesitation the animators included even when she looked back and grabbed the plate of food on the window sill despite the risk of being possibly seen by Arnold in “Helga Sleepwalks”. Spot on comment noticing her relationship with food and disordered eating throughout the series. The one opportunity she had for a well cooked, homemade breakfast made by someone who didn’t judge her presence or make demands of her/expectations (putting Gertie’s questionable mindset on the shelf for a min) and she takes it. 😢
That Helga sleepwalker made me so mad because Bob bought Chinese food and we see him eating but he does not offer or ask Helga if she's hungry, Miriam doesn't buy more groceries to replace the one she lost, And Bob doesn't offer
I like the contrast of Arnold not having parents throughout the series (technically) but turning out to be kind hearted and accepting, whilst Helga has parents who are awful people and she turned out repressing her feelings and lashed out at everyone around her. Arnold has a situation where he doesn't know his parents but desperately wants to, where Helga does know her parents but would probably rather never see them again. Of course, Arnold has his grandparents but their relationship isn't very conventional. I think that Helga is essentially the perfect foil to Arnold.
@@zerotodona1495 He said that though. He just said that it isn't conventional. Both of Arnold's grandparents are eccentric to say the least, even though they have the qualities that kids like Arnold and Helga need, it'd be tough to recreate and imitate their unique style (which in part only works with Arnold being who he is... cuz even sometimes he's just confused by the method of their madness AND the madness of their methods)
20:12 When Helga ran back to hug Dr. Bliss, that warmed my heart so much. It was so nice to see her find an adult she has a connection with and can trust. That's huge for her!
Even as a kid, I thought Helga's obsession with Arnold was creepy, but even then I understood she had shitty parents and Arnold was the first person to show her kindness. Her love may be creepy and downright psychotic at times, but she has proven that her love is real, by constantly helping him out behind the scenes and being there for him.
@@malaykav You have no idea! Whenever she would get close to telling him in certain episodes, I always waited with anticipation, only to be pissed off when she backed out of telling him. I couldn't believe it when I saw the original Hey Arnold movie when she finally tells him. Naturally, I was disappointed when she went back to trying to cover it up at the end. Finally, all was corrected with my childhood at 27 years old when Arnold finally seemed to return Helga's feeling at the end of the Jungle Movie! Lol
@@TheSuperSaiyan4Gamer I was literally thinking about the Hey Arnold movie as I typing my first comment but I wasn’t sure that I remembered that movie correctly or if was some weird fever dream. Lol. Ah that one hit right in feels. Sweet sweet relief. That movie took so much weight off my little 7 year old shoulders. Like sheesh finally now I can move on with my life!😂 I can’t wait to watch this jungle movie. I gotta catch up!
I can really relate to Helga how she was hardly ever invited to anything by her peers and didn't know how to integrate and make more friends. That takes a huge blow to your self esteem, especially when you have parents who don't really take an interest in you.
The symbolism of Olga's song choice while she was in her depression went over my head as a child. She played "Lacrimosa" from Mozart's Requiem on repeat. The word "lacrimosa" literally translates to weeping/tearful/mournful. A lot more fitting for the situation than I originally took for granted.
It's also part of a Catholic funerary ritual, and its lyrics describe the final destruction of the mortal world and its inhabitants during the Christian apocalypse.
I love the subtle implication that Arnold's grandparents (who were grieving the loss of their son and daughter-in-law and dealing with their own baggage) are part of the reason he's so kind. Grandpa drove him to preschool, stepped out of the car to make sure he got in okay, and through all his bumbling taught him to do things like share his umbrella and give compliments. I know in a lot of episodes Grandma and Grandma are kinda kooky and maybe need to be patented by Arnold a bit, but they were probably the best parental figures in the show.
I noticed he didn't comment on that either. "Beeper Queen" added to this line makes me wonder, given Bob's personality if he didn't force Merriam to give up a job she already had in order to stay home with the children.
@@laurabramblett5136 Wasn't there another episode where she and Helga are on a road trip or something and it turns out that she's really good at mechanical bull riding? It seems like she acts a lot differently when Bob isn't around.
@@ShinobiSora I thought I missremembered that episode. 😅 No, you're definitely correct that episode exist. I'm surprised this episode not only got overlooked, but having just started Seadon 2 yesterday, there are a couple more episodes he could have touched on, "Arnold's Christmas", "Arnold's Valentine", "Save the tree", and that "It's a Wonderful Life" Parody where Arnold's a magician(which I can't recall the name of at the moment). "Save the Tree" shows Big Bob ready to mow down the oldest tree in the neighborhood, even with all the neighborhood kids and Grandma sitting in the tree house, UNTIL Helga goes up, then he gets into a knock down, drag out fist fight with the bulldozer driver to try and stop him because "My kid's in there!" Proof he actually does care, he just doesn't know how to express it correctly.
@@UnownDepth Possible, I once read a fanfic where the beeper emporium was for dr~gs and Mirriam was a "strawberry" so he could do even less savory things for Helga. Even if he's not physically abusive he's definitely emotionally abusive.
Helga’s mom in a way just replacing one “addiction” for another. A subtle hint of alcoholic transition to a workaholic and back to alcoholic. That transition between the two shows how amazing of a person she could have been. Only if she had the help she need to manage her addictive trait.
I noticed while watching this video that her speech became less slurry while she was working, showing she had sobered up while she was at work. I've been around drunks my entire life, that's something you pick up on, no matter how subtle it is. I also picked up on Big Bob asked Helga, his 9-year-old daughter to attend the meeting, before asking Miriam, who he made clear he thought was a ridiculous idea. That speaks volumes to me.
I have a strange feeling Arnold’s grandparents know Helga’s secret and cover up for her, they’ve known her since she was three and are aware of the Pataki family. Also props to Simmons for respecting her privacy while reading her poems.
Yeah, this video highlighted a lot of moments where there's no way the grandparents are *that* oblivious. The girl literally fell through their ceiling during breakfast and they acted like nothing happened. They have to know what's up and are trying to give her a chance for things to work out.
@@InfernosReaper In one episode we see that they probably know what's up because they were the same at that age. Grandma bullying Grandpa. So they probably feel like they should just let them be, it worked out fine for them.
Oh yeah, there's an episode where they flashback to their own childhood. Their dynamic was very similar. They probably just think it's cute and kind of knowingly, wink and nod that it's going to work out so they don't make a big deal out of it. That's what I'd like to think it's a sweet idea.
I was at a comic con one year, and they had a panel where we could meet some of the original voice actors for Hey Arnold. Helga's voice actress was unable to make it last minute, but they called her in via the phone, and I got to ask her about her thoughts on Helga's character. She had a lot of fascinating input and I got about a ten minute or so answer. She is very, very aware of how much of a psychological character Helga is and how others view her character as well. PS: Made it to the end! Awesome video!
The one Comic-Con I know featured that panel discussing the Jungle TV Movie that had the original Arnold and Gerald voice actors sharing the table with the new kid voices for their former characters. In fact, Francesca Marie Smith can still pull off Helga’s voice easily in the movie. And among the attendees, no one (not even the cast or creator Craig Bartlett) counted on Harold’s voice actor to cameo among the seated crowd.
On Helga's mom, it is implied in the episode "Olga Gets Engaged" that Miriam actually was very driven and successful much like Olga before she met Bob. She was a star swimmer, pro-mechanical bull rider (when she was a girl) and very driven young woman. In the episode it's implied Miriam dropped out of college to support Bob and help him build his empire, but ended up unhappy in the role and yes, is implied that she is now an alcoholic. In the episode "The Beeper Queen", Miriam has to step up and takes Bob's place because he throws his back out, and she is able to shine again-- she ends up becoming overly immersed in the role and forgets Helga in a completely different way, but we see Miriam being capable and functioning better without standing in the shadow of Bob. So, just a little more on Miriam and a theory about why she is the way she is! Hey Arnold is one of my fave shows, I've watched it nearly a million times at this point I think haha. I'm loving this series so far, and I'm excited for the next installment!
Not to mention Miriam's description of her father sounds VERY similar to how her husband Bob speaks to her and puts down her abilities. Verbal abuse as berating her. It'll be interesting to learn about Helga's grandmother.
Ah yes, the girl being successful and then ending up miserable because of the jerk man. Sorry, but no pity here, it’s her own fault for falling for a jerk. On the contrary, why is it almost always this way? The girl being the poor victim ending up hurt by the jerk man? Why can’t we have the man be the poor party and the girl the jerk who ruined him? This happens in real life too, but no we always make the girl the successful poor party who ends up abused by the awful awful man.
Bro people can talk about 2 things it’s just in this video that’s not really a topic? I’m sure as hell that’s something that gets talked about in other videos
@@sandiego2380 Because there are a lot of big-ass loser men who find women raised by other big-ass loser men, and the cycle continues. Why is it almost always this way? Cause it's traditionally men who expect women to set aside their careers and aspirations to be homemakers. You'd be able to deduce that if you weren't so pissy about how poor men :( are being treated, d'awwwww, does baby need a pacifier~?
@@sandiego2380 Because there are a lot of big-@ss loser men who find women raised by other big-@ss loser men, and the cycle continues. Why is it almost always this way? Cause it's traditionally men who expect women to set aside their careers and aspirations to be homemakers. You'd be able to deduce that if you weren't so pissy about how poor men :( are being treated, d'awwwww, does baby need a pacifier~?
My dreams are now scarier and crazier as an adult 😬 dreams are incredibly impactful parts of our lives and I'm glad Hey Arnold was able to portray how they can affect us
I dunno, my night terrors starting manifesting when I was a teen and I still have them. Google what sketches of night terrors look like and that’s pretty close to what they look like. A lot of my dreams are nightmares - but they’re also a great inspiration for my writing.
having an alcoholic parent really made Helga so relatable for me, I understood what was going on and the smoothie jokes. They really portrayed growing up with an alcoholic mother very well
Growing up, Helga, without a doubt, was my favorite character. I was always angry on the inside and wanted to express myself the way she did. But I never did, and let people push me around for who I was. It makes me wonder who I would be today if I acted more like her and just went with my instincts.
Oh my goodness, you’re just like I was!! I’m not alone in acting like this! The only reason why I stopped being such a pushover was because the object of my affections turned me down in the sweetest way possible (very, VERY bad depressive episode in my life) and I felt like, since he didn’t love me the way I loved him, I might as well be true to my anger and be tougher as a result - or more childish, depending on your interpretation. But honestly, I feel so good about who I am now that I’m not sure I want to be healthy - not yet anyway. But I’ll never treat my unrequited love god the same way Helga does to Arnold, even though deep down I resented him for not figuring out I loved him. He was my Arnold, and even though he turned me down I still have a soft spot for him, and I probably always will. I fell in love when I was 10 and at a vulnerable time in my life, and it’s persevered for almost 20 years; that feeling doesn’t go away just because you want it to.
My parents were like Helga's. I was recommended for child therapy in school, and they _adamantly_ refused. They berated me, saying "you're just going to tell them about what bad parents we are, I won't have you making us look bad!"
Wow, your parents sucked then. Mine did too, and not quite the same as yours or Helga's, but pretty close. Alcohol was involved quite a bit, because of course it was. Hope you're doing better.
My mother says we should go to therapy but I’m not allowed to talk about ‘house business’ and the one time I did the psychologist called my mom in for an interview and I had to sit outside during as soon as my mom came out threats were made and I never spoke to that woman outside of a hi in the halls again
I swear grandma plays the senile card intentionally sometimes. Like to save helga. Its noteable that she seems resolute in her absurd statements. Not confused or difficult to understand as is common with senility. Like she made breakfast for helga intentionally then covered for her while she scrambled out the window. The woman knows. Shes probly the reason arnolds parents were so adventurous. She was too.
yeah we learn Gertie had a similar type of love with Phil when they were kids. where she would often tease/bully him. so I'm sure Gertie sees all the signs in Helga & purposely hid things from Arnold so Helga can eventually open up on her own when she feels ready.
Must've been nice for Helga to get a home-cooked and well-made breakfast in the morning, and it was pretty good too since she risked being seen to go back and bring the plate. I always think that when I see that episode...
@@balanc-joy9187 i didnt notice she took the breakfast and returned the plate. Thanks man. And yeah the subtlety of this show is fantastic. Although arnolds a mary sue kinda guy. So i guess it makes sense that helga as his foil would have flaws and be very human. In my older age i actually prefer helga to arnold. We see her struggle constantly. Thats more like real life than having all the answers and being chill always like arnold is. Yeah we see him make mistakes but he is mostly perfect for a kid or any human really. Cannot relate. Lol
Years later I still think the writers kinda dropped the ball on Olga. With that episode mentioned here where she cries over thinking she got a B in a class and confides with Helga about being stressed out being the over achiever. It was the first time Olga was being real with Helga but this is never seen again. From then on she is returned to being over the top annoying and blissfully unaware that Helga is jealous of her. I think it would've been better in the long run if like despite having a failed relationship with her parents, Helga still has one with her sister and they see more eye to eye. Similar to Jesse Pinkman and his younger brother in Breaking Bad
@@Spongebrain97 I liked the show. I just think it's a little silly to expect that from a kid's show where every episode is it's own enclosed story. There's no overarching story where continuity matters. You're right, though, they could've done more with Olga/Helga.
What's interesting about "Olga gets engaged" was the fact that she has to make sure that Helga approved of Doug. The fact that Helga isn't very easily manipulated by anyone and that MAYBE Olga needed her to make that judgment. If Helga let Olga get married, it's more about how Helga failed her sister by not only lying to her but also destroying Helga's moral character. Olga plans to drop her entire future to marry and support a wannabe actor. Olga fails to see that most actors will give a hell of a performance to get what they want. She planned on marrying 3 WEEKS after meeting the guy. This can root from Bob and Miriam's marriage and how it affects their daughters.
As someone who has faced neglect growing up, it's not just about wanting attention, it's that you also act out once you get it because you don't know how to handle the attention you are finally getting. You want it, but then it makes you uncomfortable. It's an inner conflict for sure.
It makes you uncomfortable because it's incredibly vulnerable to actually be seen and noticed by people... and when you've been hurt badly like many neglected kids also are, you are scared of the thing you also crave. It's hard to accept love, it's easier to stay closed off.. and lonely..
i'm so happy someone's doing an in-depth analysis on helga. when i was a kid, i used to think craig bartlett had a camera in my house - overworked, absent, and abrasive father + an intoxicated and uninterested mother, everyone ignoring me or treating me like garbage. i was just as closed off and angry on the outside, and just as sensitive and obsessive on the inside. but her "breakdown" episodes always made me feel less invisible. hey arnold really did such an amazing job at showing realistic perspectives of different backgrounds, and i'm so grateful for how it helped me understand myself and others.
I have always really liked Olga. She is genuinely a sweet girl but can be very naive. She loves Helga so much and admires her but Helga never really saw that. You can tell Olga wishes she had Helgas strength. And Helga wishes she had Olga’s likability.
If the series had continued or they made more movies, I'm positive that Olga would have been cursed to have bad taste in men & several breakups & would have been jealous that Helga met her future husband in elementary school.
@@LikaLaruku There was a spin off planned based on their family, but it ultimately got dropped because Nickelodeon felt the subject matter was too dark.
The fact the dad is aware if helga tells the whole thing about her family he could end up being jailed(?) is the saddest thing, he knows he treats her that badly.
@@PeterParker-ff7ub Parents have a different standard of behavior toward 9 year old children (or toddlers) than the other way around. Abuse is about power differential, and Helga has ZERO power. A kid yelling back at an abusive parent is not the same thing as a parent being abusive.
I kinda understand why Helga would try to get rid of Inga. First she’s a child and second Inga trying to get her to show respect to her parents even though for all of Helgas life her parents have only let her down. Inga might be ignorant of how badly they treat Helga but telling a child to show respect to neglectful parents would only make them feel even more worthless knowing Inga thinks they are worthy of Helgas respect or that she condones how the parents treat her.
As a kid, I didn't really like Inga due to how she came off as being far too imposing in Helga's life. Like, I get that she's trying to help and look after her best interests, but I wouldn't bar Helga from playing sports with friends nor would I draw attention to tasks she needs to do while in front of her friends. As an adult, I definitely see where she's coming from, but, at the same time, parents don't automatically get entitled to respect when they're toxic assholes. Especially not Bob or Miriam. But, thinking about it now, her last brushing off of Helga as simply an "angry child" who "must live with" everything rubs me the wrong way and shows just how little effort she made in at least trying to see things through Helga's eyes, or even ask why she was always so angry even once.
@@jeffreyherrera5069 Yeah, Ingra was somewhat right in her assessment of *what* Helga was, but not *why* Helga was. If she had figured that out, maybe she could have reached Helga. Ultimately, though, Ingra was probably quite angry about the whole thing even if she was trying not to show it, yet said exactly the right thing to hurt Helga on her way out.
I dealt with that a lot because my grandparents raised me but they were abusive. People always told me I had to be kind and respectful after the abuse and it just made me feel hopeless.
@@InfernosReaper Yeah, she was definitely angry, especially since Helga admitted to setting Inga up and making her lose her job. However, even though she knew what Helga was about, and for all she did to try helping out with the best of intentions, Inga still went about her approach far too strongly even to the end.
I love the highs and lows of Arnold and Helga’s relationship. It’s rocky but the genuine love on her part and the understanding on his makes this such a beautiful pair of characters. Love their ark!
what i really like about Olga's affection towards Helga is that she always looks for her whenever she gets home and she kneels to Helga's level when they speak. she doesn't physically look down on her
Olga still neglected her for large parts of her life and also never seemed to make any effort to do things that Helga wanted to do or understand who Helga was. Like did she ever take Helga to WrestleMania? Did she ever notice her shrines, lockets, poems and talk to her about Arnold? I mean a psychologist spent one afternoon with Helga and saw it but Olga never payed enough attention to. In this video the guy says that Olga never did anything to Helga but I disagree. She wasn't a very good sister at all.
@@samanthony8121 I can see that. But I’m guessing it’s cause she was busy “being perfect.” You don’t just get straight A’s, awards, and accolades while just sitting at home after school. Plus, once she was able to go off to college it’s easy to see why she doesn’t want to be home much.
She probably regrets ignoring Helga as a child and wants to make up, she probably realizes their parents are crazy and want to make sure Helga is safe.
@@romanov3937 definitely this. She makes great efforts to dote on her and spend time with her, usually being pulled away by her parents (or Helga just leaving) before she can talk to Helga much.
yea Helga is quite nasty to Phoebe sadly and they're FRIENDS? seems true to life at times, some individuals are crappy friends. we know as an audience Helga is actually good but people in real life you couldnt see all these sides of them unless you get to know them well
@Alysia Williams They had an entire episode examining this in the one where Phoebe faked needing to continue wearing a cast when she realized how Helga was actually willing to be caring and kind and giving.
@@oooh19 Helga does actually care for Phoebe though and vice-versa and yes there are times where their friendship isn't always healthy but Helga has definitely helped Phoebe from time to time such as when she cheered Phoebe up after she was upset about Ronnie Matthews and when Phoebe confided in Helga about the 6th grade girls using her and Helga convinces her to stay in the 6th grade. It's also implied that Helga was devising some sort of revenge against the 6th grade girls. Helga also backed Phoebe up when she was chastising Rhonda for wearing a fur coat and called Rhonda out for her bitchy behavior towards Curly
Helga and Phoebe always reminded me of Duke and Honey from Doonesbury, I wonder if it was a deliberate reference, the relationship is so similar, and Phoebe is drawn so much like Honey that I can’t help but wonder if that was an intentional homage.
As a child of neglect, helgas character traits are so unbearably accurate. Trying to come to terms that there’s someone out there who really cares about you after it’s beaten into your head that you’re invisible is so difficult. It’s hard for us to trust that the person actually wants good for us because all we’ve ever known is being invisible. I’d rather go unnoticed than have attention on me, it’s always been that way in my experience
The grade episode also proved how shallow Bob and Miriam actually are. It shows that their love for Olga, while greater than Helga’s, was purely conditional. Neither of them actually made a genuine attempt to understand their daughter or try to get her help. Bob thought that spending money on material means would fix everything, while Miriam couldn’t be paid to care.
You know, re-watching the Inga section, I can get why Helga was annoyed. Inga wanted the best for her, but she was also forcing her into behaving in a way she wasn't confortable with. With all the trauma, of Course Helga would reject such forcefully behaviour and attitude Helga was in the wrong, but Inga showed a lack of professionalism and understanding during this time with Helga
I was thinking the same. It was kind of brutal what she said to Helga in the park. I assume if she knew that about her and could say that she could accept that she may have come at Helga wrong. But perhaps the postcard fixed it. 🤷🏽♂️
@@h3zANDRU I think it's more of a cultural thing. Bob's side of the family seem to on the surface be brutish, blunt, temperamental and rough around the edges, but there's always warmth and love in the intentions. Helga herself having those tendencies shouldn't be harmed by that. If anything, it'll make someone like her more stubborn... Which she gets from her dad. Hence why, Personalities like Helga's gravitate towards the more empathetic and gentler personalities to trust ( Phoebe and Arnold). Interesting how the names are similar... Inga, Olga, Helga. Only difference is Olga has her mom's personality, so she is easier to manipulate and control (Helga isn't because she got Bob's stubbornness and prefers to do the bossing around)
@@ineffablemars that probably helped me too lol. That and watching the Simpsons from a very early age. It's pretty easy to compare her mannerisms and speech patterns to someone like Homer or Barney.
I think that very well may have been the point because apparently in the original run ideas they just straight up wanted to make her an alcoholic but Nickelodeon wouldn't allow it so literally the only thing they did to censor it was trade alcohol for smoothies
One thing I find very interesting about Olga is how, at 15, she completely ignored Helga needing to go to preschool so she could continue to play the piano that impresses her parents so much. Something that isn't talked about often in abusive or neglectful households with multiple children is how survival instincts can cause the children in a situation like that to essentially "turn" on each other. Although Helga's parents are not actively harming her physically, their extreme neglect and their mom's alcoholism is still a form of abuse. Olga manages to essentially "buy" her parents attention and love by being perfect, but Helga is a constant reminder that at any moment, her parents could stop caring about Olga. Olga sees her parents' love as transactional. And as a result, Olga's survival instincts are to keep her parents praising her and focusing on how perfect she is, even to the detriment of Helga. maybe even deliberately to sabotage Helga. because it's the only way Olga knows how to get parental affection. I feel as a young adult, Olga is now in a place where she is still not willing to acknowledge or come to turns with her parents' neglectful nature, and as such still plays into the "perfect daughter" persona purely out of learned behaviour. But she's now an adult, and probably feels bad on some level that Helga always gets the short end of the stick, and worried that Helga resents her for her sabotage when they were children together. And this is why Olga is so smotheringly nice and overly affectionate with Helga. She's hoping by "being nice" now, she can mend the relationship and get that sibling love in the transactional way she's learned how to deal with relationships. The problem is Helga doesn't buy her act. This causes Olga to be more manipulative than she probably realises. I don't think Olga even knows she's doing this. Olga has a loooooot of therapy in her future. She's just as screwed up as Helga is. And, ironically, just like Helga, it's because of their parents' neglect and abuse. Just because it's on the opposite end of the spectrum, doesn't mean it's any less harmful or damaging. She's gonna want to sort that out before she starts dating anyone seriously 😬
This is a fantastic comment. Thank you for doing this analysis and sharing your ideas in such a cogent, well written way. I’ve seen thoughtful comments in this section that suggest Olga used her perfectionism to shield Helga, but at least as a 15-year-old, she was actively participating in the neglect of a defenseless toddler. Sometimes even this video treats the sisters as if their moral decisions are equal in weight, but they can’t be. Olga is a young adult, and Helga is a _fourth grader._ She’s an actual child-albeit a brilliant one-and that means something. Part of this is the fact that it’s a show for children, in which children handle crazy situations, but Helga also seems tasked with unusually adult burdens. She’s 9-10 and rescuing her adult sister from a deceitful groom. I remember a late episode in which she imagines her future with Arnold-but also as martial arts expert, woman of culture, special operative, and US President. And all of that seems entirely in character.
She’s the Golden child , most don’t change . They pretend until they need there parents love . They will use the black sheep of the family to make their parents angry then when the fire get to hit throw them under the bus
The survival instinct thing happened to me too. I turned on my sister even though we are really close and inseparable, even now. We are over that now and avoid our abusers.
I just realized something, you said Arnold was Helga light in her darkness meaning he was the only good thing Helga had going in her life, the only thing she look forward to. In Helga love potion episode, looking back at that episode and all the episodes about Helga life and her family. I realized Helga would have been severely depressed without him because again. Her love for Arnold was her passion and being obsessed with him brought her joy and happiness when being around her family make her empty. She even said “I don’t feel anything except I’m bored.” And “I’m not high I’m not low.” That episode pretty dark when you realized without Arnold in her life or being madly obsessed with him. Helga would have been a depressed girl with no care for the world around her.
Lol! One of my fav moments of Helga breaking into arnold's house was when she came crashing through his room while the other boys were over and she slowly walks out and the boys including Arnold does nothing like its normal 😂😂😂
This jarred an ancient memory of how my regular-type blue collar dad totally hated big Bob when I was a kid watching this show, he'd walk by and say "holy fuck what an asshole" 😂
My mother originally didn't care for Helga, but there was an episode where they showed Merriam's detachment to everything going on and my mother asked what was wrong with her. Having never made the alcoholism connection, I answered, "She's not really a people person, or a morning person." And my mother flat out added, "Or a person?"
God I'm in my 30s and my dad will still periodically say to me "I still wonder how that Helga Pataki is doing." It's lead to us watching "Helga on the Couch" on illegal websites with weird ads a few times haha. I love Helga and am fascinated and horrified by her family. I used to want to be a therapist and I think part of what got me interested in it initially was the process of Dr Bliss's therapeutic techniques. The way she befriends Helga to gain her trust, asserts some boundaries like no socking Brainy but legitimizes Helga's obsession. I've never made a sculpture out of used gum but I'm obsessive with loving people who don't like me in my own way. I can really relate to Helga's anxious attachment style.
It's crazy Helga was picked to have a spin-off and that Dr.Bliss be part of the show. But sadly show didn't get picked up due it being too dark. Which is fair because of neglect shown on a "kids show" level. Show would've been nice for complex character Great episode btw
I think we've gotten enough hints to be pretty sure Arnold (who's a perceptive and emotionally intelligent dude for a 9 year old) understands that Helga's home life is just absolute shit. When she's at her lowest he often reaches out to her and asks her if she's okay or needs anything, and she vents to him enough that he's probably got a reasonable picture by now. It sounded like her mom had a DUI and he knew about it. I don't know that he necessarily understands the way that everything happening in her life is fucking her up, exactly - he seems confused about why she reacts the way she does to things or feels the way she does about them, but he at least recognizes that her home life is unhappy and it's fucking her up. It's a really interesting dynamic that on one hand feels too adult for 4th grade and then I think back on 4th grade and hoo boy. We did all know a lot of dark shit about each other's families when I was that age, and we also all knew not to get caught alone by that one male teacher. Kids know shit, and they are exposed to trauma, and they get abused, and that kind of stuff does not make it into most kids media because it makes adults uncomfortable.
Exactly, kids are much more perceptive than many adults give them credit for, which is why they obvious cries of abuse (like when a child straight tells an adult that they've been touched in a no no place) gets ignored because the adults don't want to admit that their child is being abused in front of their eyes and that children couldn't "possibly know" about such acts.
Agreed, can’t stand how most cartoons talk down to kids and try to force feed lessons. Kids are perceptive sponges and not every child has a happy perfect safe life. In fact most probably don’t and deal with some form of darkness in their home lives. I know I did with my mom leaving so many times and me wondering as a child why my mom was gone again. A character in a show with a perfect mother making them a lunch and paying attention to their every need was not something I could relate to. In fact, it only made me feel isolated if that was how most mothers were and mine was not, was there…maybe something wrong with me? But Helga having a flawed, neglectful mother was something I Could relate with. In a weird way, it was a bit comforting. Not that she was suffering but it was like an acknowledgment in a way.
I'm rewatching these because they're such good deep dives, and I realized that in the previous episode at the start, we watched Helga hang around with Phoebe and that pop star, and the amount of food she eats at the diner is astounding; I realized Helga's eating so much because she's barely fed at home. Makes it so sad!
@@lelelew2735 To be fair, their home was to be demolished and they were running out of time, plus Arnold and Gerald would've been dead if she hadn't escaped earlier.
There's something really sweet and emotionally smart about an educator like Simons The fact that he reads Helga's poem outloud because he truly enjoys it but also respects and recognizes her need of privacy, "signed anonymous". Very sweet.
Yeah, Mr Simons was such a good man and a good teacher. He wasn't the kind of teacher that saw his students as a "class" but a room full of individual students who are special in their own way.
The episode where Helga sees the therapist is one of the best and well written episodes. It’s actually really deep especially watching it back as an adult
Right? When I was researching for this video I definitely found a new level of respect and admiration for Helga. Thanks for watching, I really appreciate your support 😌
@@DuskTillShawn I agree. I used to watch this show back when Nickelodeon became available here in Hungary in the late '90s, and while the setting of most of the shows were unfamiliar to me, I loved the characters. Helga is absolutely my favorite character in Hey Arnold, we share more than I care to admit, even to this day... what happens in one's childhood stays around forever. I also loved "As Told by Ginger", and "The Wild Thornberrys" because they were quite serious iirc. I miss those times.
Also people who are abused or used to neglect/being invalidated quite often sabotage positive relationships since it's not what they're used to. Sort of a "I don't deserve this. Never did and never will. How can you like me when my family never did?" It's super sad but another trait I've noticed in Helga.
In the episode where Helga throws the spelling bee, it was nice seeing her not be afraid of big Bob because ik there's a lot of situations where doing such a thing could risk a very severe punishment from their parent(s). Obv this is a cartoon, but I still felt better about her situation knowing she wouldn't be in physical danger even if her whole backstory is very sad generally
The saddest part is that she’s on a whole other level of neglect. In Olga’s case, yes, a mistake like that could have ended up with a punishment. But Helga, is much more neglected. Her every mistake, never gets her even punishment. In my opinion her brash and overall antagonistic attitude is because, as the guy here said, it gets her attention, even if it’s a bad one. But when it comes to family, she’s not getting even the bad kind of attention. She just exists there in her own world, living by her own.
Even in cases where a kid knows they are going to get physically hurt by a parent/guardian because of something that happened, it can still be really empowering to seize control like that, especially in a public setting where the parent is going to be facing social consequences from their peers. If you're going to be in the shit no matter what you do why not go hard?
I love how everyone overlooks how Brainy knows Helga's secret too. He could reveal it, as revenge for all the face punches, but he doesn't. Brainy, what a chad
[SPOILRS] .... ... .. . The final movie seemed to reveal he loved Helga. He'd rescue her locket of Arnold. He loves her, but knows she only loves Arnold, and even when she casts it away in anger, he goes after it and keeps it safe for her sake. He's loving and true, in a self-sacrificing way. Truly, what a little gentleman. ;_;
If I remember correctly, in a book for the show about Brainy, it's revealed he is also very romantic and poetic in the same way Helga is, and I think that's why he starts liking Helga. He's overall just such a good guy 😂
As problematic as Bob and Miriam are, I love that through the course of the show they show moments of empathy and care for Helga. It generally doesn’t last, but the fact they are capable of such is extremely relatable.
The honestly disturbing "you make my girlhood tremble" line would have happily gone over my head when I was a kid if my mom hadn't been in the living room all those years ago and blew tf up with laughter telling my stepdad what she just heard in a kid's show. (she would NOT STOP TALKING ABOUT IT also 😂) Even though in reality it's normal for kids that age to start feeling things they don't quite understand, and it's supposed to be a joke for the adults, I'd forgotten why exactly Helga's crush on Arnold made me so uncomfortable lmaooo
I watched the whole thing, it was really really good. Helga is a very complex character and so much stuff can be said about her. In the beeper episode it seems like Miriam replaced her addiction to alcohol to a work addiction. Like she has a very addictive personality.
I believe that Helga thought if there was no note or some kind of explanation for David's sudden departure, Olga probably would've had a really bad nervous breakdown or something major. She did it because she wanted Olga to realize this was a learning experience so she could stay in school and not make the same mistake their mother made, which was drop out of school and give up her dreams of swimming on the Olympic swimming team to support Bob with his business empire.
That is if you don't mind me asking a question or two why do ladies put the toilet tissue in the bathroom with the hanging piece towards the wall most men do it the opposite way also why do girls look away when you touch your beard also why do women flip their hair when they walk past you I know that all of those women cannot like me so it has to be something else. A little help please
I miss when cartoons felt real, when you could picture yourself being in the main character’s shoes and understand what they were going through. It’s insane how much I (and I’m sure many others) can relate to Helga. I’ve never seen another kid cartoon protagonist like her
@@Akira00920 not many children’s cartoons do this. Sure a character can be “relatable” but not many have a character that lives the way you do and acts the same way. Like all of the weirdness included. I didn’t say Helga was the first, but she’s definitely one of the few from a kids cartoon
What about Angelica from Rugrats? Or the bullies from Catdog? Debbie and Eliza from Wild Thornberries. Ed and Eddy. I know im listing off cartoons back in the same time as Hey Arnold and I also know where you're coming from with your statement. Cartoons became less relatable as time goes on. I just wanted to list off some cartoons I could think of that related to your comment.
@@Ammut6 no I understand! I guess I’m biased because I relate to Helga the most. I wish there were more cartoons where kids could watch cartoons and know that they aren’t alone. That it’s normal for them to have certain feelings and act certain ways. I also don’t know much about the shows you listed (Rugrats I know the most about, but I haven’t watched it in years). It’s like people now don’t understand that cartoons are sometimes the only source of advice they get in their lives (since there are horrible parents out there)
@@katlyndobransky2419 I only listed those shows because I've been rewatching a lot of them as an adult now to see what messages I missed as a child. I too relate with Helga a lot. I absolutely wish and hope that cartoons moving forward can stick with the same concepts as 90s shows like Hey Arnold and all the others. Sure kids won't catch a lot of the messages but I think thatvthey slowly and subtly are burned/learned over time.
Helga may have been aggressive but it’s a defense mechanism after having to practically survive with her parents constantly neglecting her. She wants to be loved and even wants to have her own family. When she talks to the therapist about Arnold and her love she describes what she sees her life with him and she wants it to happen.
I'm always going to be disappointed that the Patakis spin off never happened. That would have been such a fantastic way to grow with the viewer base and tackle the difficult aspects of Helga's life that they couldn't go into as much because of the target audience age. I'm also always going to be convinced that the main character of Hey Arnold was in fact Helga and not Arnold. None of the other 'side' characters get as much attention as Helga did and she was also I think one of the few that speaks in pretty much every episode.
I have the same feeling about the spin-off. Learning about stuff that was never able to be made is often depressing, but that one ESPECIALLY hits hard.
I also think that Big Bob is in a way aware their family is dysfunctional. I mean he did tell Helga not to talk to Dr.Bliss about their problems, and I think he feared that he and Miriam may have to face their issues or Dr.Bliss may even call social services/CPS on them due to the verbal and emotional abuse and anger he's perpetrating and Miriam's alcoholism and neglect. I also think Olga is very sheltered and naive. Like in the ep with the fiance, she believed this guy absolutely...even when he wrote that fake letter in the end. She fell for such an obvious fake. Her parents always praised her and I think kept her in a sort of bubble. Because she doesn't seem to notice Miriam's problems or her father's temper and shallowness. And that's bc both Bob and Miriam are on their best behavior when she's around. They're happy and affectionate...and again, they gave her all the love and attention. Olga grew up with a picture-perfect family and thus has no idea how different her experience is from Helga's. She probably assumes they're being treated the same.
@@DuskTillShawn I mean Bob often reffers to Helga as The Girl/That Girl. Which...I don't think was meant to be disturbing to that extent but I've noticed that murderers often reffer to their victims, ones that they knew/had connection to as "the girl" or "that child" ect as a way to a) distance themselves from them and b)possibly dehumanize them. as for Helga and Olga, I don't get too annoyed at Helga for blaming Olga for all the neglect stuff...well a lot of people would, but Helga is a child. She's only 9 and while she can be smart in some ways and make deeper observations she's still on the development level of a child her age, when it comes to emotional maturity and her father and mother surely don't help with their behaviour. I mean studies say that kids can't really detect nuance and read between the lines until they're like 12...so it makes sense she'd see the world in more black-white colors
Helga is a broken hearted child with neglect from her parents and pretty much everyone around her. She hides her emotions behind her anger, her anger is the fear of being rejected and hated. But the way how Arnold was nice to her the only person who showed her kindness and how to care for someone. Arnold is her escape from every bit of abuse she fears to get. Neglect from her parents drives her away from her sister olga who only wants the best for Helga and just wants to get along with her as sisters should. But no matter what Helga will be there for olga no matter how bad she shows hatred (jealousy) for her. Jealousy, fact of being neglected from olga getting all the attention (olga is also suffering due to everyone wanting her to be perfect when she wants to be herself) Her anger and attitude is her way of defending herself and to Arnold, she's not used to someone being nice to her dispute picking on him. She's only defending and protecting her feelings cause she's afriad of being rejected. Letting out her true emotions when she's alone is something we all can relate to. But she does it in her own way like we all do~ she does it with poems which is her strong point of how to let things out I can personally relate to helga and I am not afraid to say it~ I Kin her I understand where she's coming from Mentally abused by parents (NOT my dad he's a total sweetheart) My mom is the mentally abusive one I tend to defend myself under anger, take it out on others when I was her age. But I won't lie I did have one person who was there for me and I did have a crush on him always being nice to me and treating me like a person. Like I existed when everyone else ignored me or just felt like I wasn't there. I felt noticed and welcomed all the time. I still thank him today for being the friend I needed. Yes like Helga is to Arnold, I picked on him and his friends sometiems but not as bad as Helga did. I always let my emotions out my true feelings when I'm alone, in my own way which is the one thing people never see. I can personally relate to helga on a high level ~ in my own way 💌
My god, the relationship between Helga and Olga gets me so emotional. It reminds me of the rocky and disconnected relationship my older sister and I had, when we were younger, reverse the roles of who relates to who more. We're closer than ever now and can look back and understand one another and how our pasts effected us and how we saw one another.
I think that Brainy potentially guards Helga's secret as fiercely Phoebe, or possibly even more so. Arguably that boy is his own can of worms, the fact that he usually seems to be right over Helga's shoulder during some of her more private moments actually suggests almost a mirror obsession, that to my knowledge the show never actually delves into. But that being said, Brainy has heard Helga's impassioned speeches enough times that he would easily recognize her poetry. So in instances like when her little pink book fell into the wrong hands, or when Bob's parrot got adopted by Arnold, Brainy could have easily went "guys, I know who it is.. teehee". But he never does.. even after the years of abuse at her hands, he protects her secret. He even, seemingly, gets so worried by her change in demeanor after she drinks the "anti-love potion" that he panics and punches himself in the face. And then later when she found out she had just paid $10 for fancy grape-drank and she kisses him, Brainy's demeanor seems equally confused and relieved. That kiss and their interaction at the end of "Helga on the couch", coupled with things you pointed out about her character lead me to believe that Helga may potentially be aware of Brainy's... well awareness.. without it ever being expressly acknowledged by the series to my knowledge. Honestly, I'd never payed much mind to Brainy before this video. But in your editing all the scenes of Helga dipping off to privately expound on her feelings you repeatedly cut (and I understand why) the eventual scene of Brainy getting punched in the face. Which would have went right over my head honestly, but you lead this episode with "Helga on the couch", in which you showed us the first time Helga ducked off to revel in her feelings, and the fact that Brainy was there. So then at every edit a little part of my brain went "Brainy was there.. oh, he was there to.. yep, then she hits Brainy". I know that the chances of it being a running gag that the writers of the series didn't pay much thought to is high. But to look at it through an overarching lens, as your series is want to do, I can find no other possible in universe theory other then Brainy knows and guards Helga's secret. Thanks for the thought experiment lol. Looking forward to the next one, Your friendly neighbourhood Fatchick
Pretty sure it's just the running gag. Like South Park did with Kenny. Except South Park finally explored ideas with Kenny. I wish Brainy at least had a dedicated episode.
So, I'm not the only one who thinks Brainy's BOUND to know, but protects her secret? I litterally said something along the same thing in my admittedly really long comment before I even started reading other comments. 😅
@@blaiktrout376 It's very likely. There's no way neither Brainy or Mr Simmons are unaware of Helga's "Secret" and it's more likely both of them know as much as if not more than Phoebe, just because Mr Simmons has been reading Helga's creative writing assignments and Brainy's always right there wheezing in her ear. But, yes, he probably has a crush on her, too. In "Operation Ruthless", he landed himself in the same boat as her in the Tunnel of Love and she reacted as per usual to him putting a hand on her shoulder. This evidence added to him punching himself when she doesn't because he didn't know how to handle it, and him fainting when she kissed his forehead would indeed lead one to believe he has a crush on her.
Helga is probably my favorite character in hey arnold because i grew up in an abusive household and the feelings from the trauma she has is deeply relatable. Alot of the episodes that are focused on her situations make me tear up cause i feel a little of myself in them
Helga is like the Zuko of the show. She's the key to all of it. I'm really impressed with how this show handles therapy. It's about exploring yourself and coming to terms with whatever you find, and less about "fixing" you.
@@mrbanks456 yea but it costs a lot of $$ many people who'd benefit can't afford it. plus like Big Bob pointed out "we didn't have therapy when i was a kid" well he would have benefited from it most
I never actually considered until this video that Olga didn’t fall in a huge depression because she got a low grade. She spent all her life feeling like she had to be perfect and not living up to the expectations everyone forced on her terrified her. When I was a kid, I always thought that she was genuinely sad about not getting straight As and also felt bad for having to perform to her parents. It wasn’t until this video that I understood that Olga didn’t really care about the grades, she cared about what people and specifically her parents would think of her if she didn’t appear perfect.
I always liked the fact that a lot of the hey Arnold characters had rough storylines like Lila being poor(and possibly losing the family farm) or helgas family storyline or Arnold's parents
Inga's presence is also interesting bc she's not just this spoiling grandma figure, she's also challenging the comfort of the free feeling aimlessness that a child dealing with neglect learns to enjoy as a coping mechanism. She gives her nice food, but also is making sure she does her homework. Kids do need that type of tough love, but Helga was able to point to the toughness to justify framing her for theft. I had an oddly similar experience to Helga dealing with Miss Slovak's obsession with her sister. My fifth grade teacher was the only elementary school teacher that I hated, and she constantly compared me to my older sister. My mom commented that during my parent teacher conference that year, her reverence for my sister bordered on creepy. When my sister was home from college and took me out of school to take me to lunch, she announced to the class that she was her favorite student of all time. God that year was miserable.
I have a sort of similar experience, only from the perspective of the older sister. My younger sister and I had the same art teacher in high school. This teacher had me in the sixth grade for art and then for 3 years in high school. She really liked my works and whatnot. Then, when my sister entered tenth grade, this teacher was constantly comparing my sister's works to mine, saying stuff like, "why can't you be more dedicated like your sister, your work ethic sucks." Yes, she really said that to my sister and when I heard that, I got so pissed off at this teacher because she wasn't letting my sister be her own person, to have her own methods in art and mediums. I wished I could've told this teacher that my sister and I aren't the same person, that we're two different unique people.
I made it to the end, also, interested to know, how Pheebs and Helga became such good friends that Helga let her know the secret, and she’s loyal enough not to tell? That’s a helluva friendship there.
A One- sided one. The only way a "friendship" with someone like Helga could work is if you allow disrespect, are meek, and allow her to dominate. I've been Phoebe in the majority of my "friendships". Sad thing is, you're NEVER truly appreciated for your kind heart, but moreso what you can do for these users and how well you take their shit. The same shit that they wouldn't take an OUNCE of from you.
@@KayleneRomero-oz7yz I feel your pain. I was a soundboard for friends like Helga and the moment I said something they didn’t like I was cut loose. Like wtf I was loyal and supportive but nah, can’t have a mind of my own I guess.
Child psychologist here, Watching this again (since I was a kid, lol) it made me realize a ton of stuff about Helga's background. 1) The way Helga's paretns (specially her father) props up Olga makes it clear that she's a narcissistic projection from them. Bob may have wanted a boy, but the fact that his firstborn is a girl may have made him lay onto her daughter to make her into the version of success that he thinks himself as. As a result, she's been raised as a narcissist, dependent on the feedback of her emotional objects to compensate for her internal structure deficits (the reason why she broke down because of the B+ is because her actions led her peception to believe that her emotional objects ie. her parents & those around her, would reject her, and made her neurotic anguish go into overdrive). Another argument for this diagnosis is her overtly cheery, sometimes childish, sometimes seductive, attitude. She draws attention and she knows it; as long as the attention she draws is possitive, her psyche will remain in order. 2) Helga's mother shows signs of a personality disorder, probably anxiety or depression related. The fact that she's depicted as a taciturn, forgetful person may also indicate that she's on meds, probably ananxyolitics. This comes in hand with Bob's narcissistic personality, since his dismissiveness and emotional predispositions makes apparent that he's a manipulator; and his job in sales only compounds this perception. 3) Due to the embironment she grew up in, Helga has developed an "emotional cuirass" that has made her "mature" faster. It's typical in children that suffer abuse in ther early years to seem to "grow up faster" as a "survival mechanism" against the omnipresent danger of lashing out from their parents. This is compounded by Helga's age (9-10), which places her in an age bracket where her emotions (specially those pertaining to attraction and anger) should be heavily ofuscated. The fact that they aren't, that Helga shows her attarction through acting out against her objects, as well as a cynical attitude and overall emotional unstability, indicate that she's "stuck" in an earlier stage of bio psychological development. She's a kid that has a lot of repressed aggression against her parents and sister, but due to her circumstances, she can't show it, or, moreover, express it other than through the objects that she has more easily at hand: her classmates, specially Arnold. I think Helga desperately needs therapy, and when she did receive it, her spychologist noticed that she was someone who needed ways to sublimate her chaotic emotions, hence why she let her act in her consultory, treating it as she would treat her "family framing" back home, but couldn't in the real world, and only when she helped her put those emotions in order and realize the state of her affective relations did the therapy really began (at the end of the episode, as it's often the case irl). I'm sure I missed things, but Hey Arnold is a really long series, and a complete evaluation woudl require more details that it doesn't provide. Anyway, good video DuskTillShawn, I really appreciate it!
Maybe you should write a paper? You say you're a child psych, and I feel no reason not to believe you. You're clearly into the show's innerworkings (which of course there's plenty of). In addition, you point out the things that can't be covered in a forum like this. Hell, as an (still) aspiring writer, maybe I should compose a short piece, having interest in this myself. But this is obviously more of a personal digression. Anyway, you should write up something.
With Olga and the B+, I feel like it could be more of her becoming a perfectionist than a narcissist. After all, she's been successful at almost everything and isn't completely use to even the slightest of slip ups.
Olga had a breakdown when she thought she got a B+ because her parents taught her their love for her is conditional and nobody, not even them would love her if she is anything but perfect which is a fear they immediately confirm to be real by acting like she is worthless after getting a lower than usual grade And Miriam is not taking pills, she is an alcoholic, all through the show she is seen drinking "smoothies", is shown to crave them and claims to need them to function, there's even an episode where she quits the smoothies in order to work and immediately becomes a workaholic, there's also other clues like Arnold seeing her driving and asking Helga "when did your mom get her license back?" and her having to do community service
Helga is deeply tragic. Sure she's aggressive but all she wants is a loving family. It's sad really because there ARE episodes that show Miriam and Bob love her, but not enough. Poor girl.
It’s sad that no matter how many times Helga and Olga make amends, Helga will never stop seeing her as the golden child who stole her parents love from her.
Eh, Helga's nine. Nuance is hard when you're nine. Obviously we'll never know what Teen Helga would be like since the show's about nine-year-olds, but in that kind of family dynamic things can change drastically with age, especially as Olga continues to grow up and hopefully distances herself from her parents expectations. In a few years, Helga might well be unofficially living with Olga. Olga does care about her and does already know that the problem for both of them is their parents - I think once she gets her feet under herself as proper adult she would probably reach out. It's not an unusual dynamic, for an older sibling or cousin who knows what home is like to step up in that way for a younger kid.
@@iesika7387 Now that I think about it, I’m pretty sure that Bob and Miriam’s love was purely conditional. When Olga fell for Doug, they were pretty quick to turn on her. And when Olga was feeling depressed, Bob sought out material means to cheer her up, while Miriam couldn’t have cared less.
She'll need to see Dr. Bliss in therapy for a long time to heal from what she's been through. Her psychologist might guide her towards realizing that things could at least somewhat improve with her sister. She can show her how to properly communicate and get past resentment towards Olga.
1:00:21 I love the subtle word change here where Bob says that they need to spend "quantity" time together instead of "quality" time with Helga. This show has so many things that would go over ones head like this and it just adds to the depth of the writing in this amazing show.
Real talk as someone who had absent parents that checks out bc it literally didn't matter the quality of the time bc I was just looking for any time at all 🙄 ended up being fat as a kid from McDonald's trips on the weekend when I got to see my mom or dad bc that's all we ever really did together. I never realized how much I related to Helga as a kid but I see it now. Luckily years of therapy seem to have helped me out
My personal head-canon is that after the jungle movie: Helga will be introduced to Arnold’s parents and grandparents and develop some kind of bond with them that she had never had with her own family; especially Miles and Stella who could give her the parental love ❤️ that Bob and Miriam couldn’t be bothered to give her 🥹🥰
The Inga portion kinda makes me want to write a sequel where an older Helga reconciles with Inga. It’d be nice for Inga to be proud of how much Helga had changed since they last met, as well as her apologizing for trying to make her suck up to her ignorant parents so often (and Helga herself apologizing for trying to sabotage her career)
Beeper Queen is probably one of the big reason normal explanations on why her mother's an alcoholic. Maybe she used to love working but had to give it all up so Bob could start his beeper Empire thus not making her happy being a housewife
I remember in the episode where Olga got engaged, Miriam revealed that she was supposed to compete on the Olympic swimming team but gave it up for Bob. Like in that moment, her face lit up when Doug mentioned Olympic swimming and then once she revealed she gave it up, she went back to her sour demeanor. Seems like Bob has this control over her where he believes the wife is supposed to stay home all day to cook, clean and raise a family while the man works. But like my friend once told me, in this day and age, both parents need to share responsibilities, especially when it comes to paying off student loans and putting food on the table.
@@CourtneyLachiver Some Women find there happier as housewives. Others in working. It's clear Miriam at least Prefers working especially since at Beepers she's the boss. And that's a Big reason compared to convincing career women that Working and making big cash for a boss is the epitome of happiness. But yeah. Miriam needs to feel accomplished.
@@arnowisp6244 that is true. Took a friend of mine almost 10 years for her to pay off her student loans for when she went to university to be a teacher. Then, she couldn't find work anywhere. Luckily, her boyfriend and her got an opportunity to move to Florida and once she moved in, she found work as an elementary school teacher.
@@arnowisp6244 there's nothing wrong with wanting to be a working woman in this day and age. I for one wished I could be a stay at home Mom when I have kids one day but in this day and age, it's probably not feasible since the cost of living has gone through the damn roof. My mom worked for years and even after having me, she brought me along to work (she was a housekeeper/former nanny) and then stopped after having my sister.
I’ve always loved Helga as a character. Some things she’s gone through I relate to my own life. I was around the age she is in the show when I watched it and now at 31 I’m amazed at how much I can still relate to this character. Some parts made me cry and others definitely made me laugh.
It’s also really sad that when she was walking to preschool alone in what is essentially New York City, she really could have disappeared. She could’ve been kidnapped, she could’ve been killed, or even worse. And the only person who would’ve cared is probably Olga
Watched the whole thing. LOVED IT. Hey Arnold was always special to me, I was also a girl with a unibrow who had a slightly obsessive crush on the first friend I ever made. I also LOVE Arnold as a person and the characters in the story. Thank you for helping me fold 2 hours worth of clothes and cleaning. BRILLIANT. You should be proud. Thank you for the excellent content.
I love helga I always related to her so hard. When your not a conventionally attractive woman which is not on pedestaled in society but almost a requirement to be treated with an ounce of humanity… anyway it’s easy to lash out with aggression and anger when you feel like your constantly judge for things that are out of your control
I finally finished this video and I’m kind of surprised the episode where Miriam and helga go on a road trip wasn’t included bc I felt it was also another turning point in their relationship due to at the end helga sees that her mom wants to do her best for helga and take care of them and also has a whole other life that she has lived outside of the drunk mom she’s portrayed as
You know it's odd whenever your own kid calls you by your first name. That's just how upset Helga is at her parents when she refers to them by their first names at times. She doesn't even view them as her parents all the time
Why should she!? They arn't there for her. They don't "parent" her. Half the time it's like they act like she isn't even around. Honestly I don't think they deserve the title of "Mom and Dad"
i relate to both olga and helga so much. i started my life as an olga, perfect grades, smart, musically and artistically talented, and super social. i was the perfect child compared to my older siblings, some of whom were nearly adults by the time i entered grade school. i was the golden child until i was a teen and started developing mental illness. my grades dropped, i started getting aggressive and isolating, and my dad specifically started a cycle of emotional neglect that made everything worse. i also hyperfixated on relationships with boys, jumping between them at breakneck speed, making myself grow up way to fast in that aspect of my life. i was putting myself in situations that were too adult, too risky, or even downright dangerous. my little brother became the favorite, and it made me resent him even though it wasn't his fault at all. i've experienced firsthand how being the favorite and the forgotten one messes you up in a neglectful enviornment. it took a LOT of therapy and medication to unwind back down to the point of being a functional adult.
Not sure if you cut it or it was dubbed differently in Spanish, but recall this exchange from the Psychologist episode I was expecting to see in this video: Big Bob: "I never went to a psychologist when I was a kid" Helga: "That's obvious, Bob".
1:20:00 I disagree with this take. Feels like what the show writers were alluding to is what commonly happens with alcoholics. Alcoholics will put down one bottle and pick up another. Helga’s mom’s life is unmanageable and in the same way her drinking Takes over her life to an obsessive degree whatever she tries to replace the bottle with the same if she doesn’t get help. She’s just as sick as she’s always been even if she can pretend to be a good mom for a while.
I still can't believe they got away with the line "You make my girlhood tremble." Edit: this is twice where I've thought "I wonder when his next video is coming" and the next day: boom, there it is.
Looks like guilt is Helga's kryptonite. On some level, she seems like a sociopath, but when guilt hits her, she actually tries to push past her aggressive façade born from her situation and actually tries to be a good person.
They pay attention to Olga because she does want the parents expect her too. She is everything they wanted to be which is why they treat her distastefully whenever she does something for herself or something they don’t approve of. Helga doesn’t behave the way they want her to, so she gets ignored. There’s so much to unpack with Helga’s storyline. That’s why she’s one of my favorite characters.
One correction: the therapist was the third person Helga told about her love of Arnold, not the second. She told Lila in the season 3 episode "School Play" (and that was probably before she told Phoebe, since she manipulated her in order to get her to drop out of the role of Juliet, instead of just asking her if she could have the role so she could kiss Arnold). And since you said to comment if we watched all the way through to the end of the video - yes, I did. Both of these videos were great.
If you wanna skip the intro, the meat and potatoes of this video starts near 4:00
:)
Thanks for watching!!
Im loving this new series
Been waiting for this. I subbed so i could see the part 2 when it came out.
@@rustyshackelford312 Same
Take my angry Like and I'll be more vigilant for these.
I love the new series. Keep up the great work, man. This is super interesting
It just struck me how many times Helga comes home either extremely late or not at all at night and her parents just straight up don't notice.
Don't even notice nor care
Yes!!!!! I watched the whole series as a child and last year i n my 30s
Seriously tho! This show is wild watching it as an adult
Makes you realsie that Helga is the "oopsie" baby of the family, especially since there's a massive age gap between her and Olga. Her parents re so wrapped up in their eldest that they completely forget that they have a seccond child. A sadly realistic family life.
@@BrightWulph yes i agree! Thanks for contributing this idea. i commented similarly, I didn't even think about the age gap as part of it. And I just noticed big Bob constantly forgetting her age!. this channel has the best comment section for discussion
A B+ throwing Olga into a depression is so sad, her parents tied her worth so tightly to her accomplishments that she really thinks she worthless because she got anything less than perfect
An observation I've seen elsewhere: "How would she have reacted if she got an _F?!"_
I used to teach AP Calculus and AP Stats classes for very bright high schoolers.
That scene is pretty accurate. Kids who got As their whole lives just totally crumbled when they struggled for the first time.
They were good kids. I did a lot of consoling.
I know this feel. It really sucks.
@@balanc-joy9187 she'd have gone straight off the roof like pigeon man.
@@user-hm4yi7um9d I've seen that suggested with that as well, so you aren't the only one to think that.
That moment when Dr. B says "So no one has ever noticed you?" and Helga responds sadly "There was someone" always makes me cry. Can you imagine at 4 or 5 years old, feeling like you finally get noticed by a stranger and now, your desire is to be noticed by that person at all times...that's so powerful to think about from a children's perspective.
yeah, and i teach preschool. i've seen younger kids hardly get any attention or be born to get more out of a welfare check. it happens.
One thing not noted in this video is that the name Helga comes from the name Olga. Her parents were literally trying to have a second Olga when they named Helga, and were disappointed that she wasn't the same. She's forever in Olga's shadow even by name.
Yes, I noticed that. I felt so bad for Helga because she’s forever in Olga’s shadow. I know how that feels; both my “older sister” aka my biological aunt, my dad and I all have the same initials - JR. I like my initials, and it’s nice to have a tribute to my dad. But really? My aunt and I have the same initials because my aunt was raised as an older sister. So, in essence, I lived in her shadow too.
@@seasonsstarsstudios did you get along with your aunt?
@@oooh19 I hated her guts actually, but she started it. She was vicious to me my entire life - seriously, since I was an infant; she tried to kill me once that I know of - and went out of her way to destroy my family, let alone what little of a relationship we could’ve had. I’d rather have Olga as a sister, as smothering as she can be. At least she’s trying to make up for her mistakes. My aunt never did. She was as nasty as they came until her last breath. I wanted to tell her exactly how I felt about her but she killed herself before I had a chance to yell at her about how rotten she was to me. If we’d had that fight I would’ve made more of an effort to get along with her. As it was, as horrible as this is, I have to be honest about how relieved I was when she killed herself. I feel guilty every time I think about that day because it’s a terrible thing to be happy about someone dying, no matter how awful they are. As horrible as she was to me, though, she was even worse to her oldest son, if such a thing can even happen. Yeah, she was evil - but so am I. At least I admit it. Right?
So yeah, living in evil’s shadow is a nightmare, to say the least.
@@seasonsstarsstudiosI’m sorry if you had a shitty nightmare family
"youre so angry and you wont let anyone help you so you must live with your unhappiness" jesus this show knew how to upper cut you in the feels
It was honestly a great era to grow up in
Hit me deep
@@WizBunny3 no it was terrible.
@@lunarlight3131 in terms of the media we grew up with it was good, we had shows with real morals and handled more serious topics without watering them down or treating their child audience like a bunch of dumb idiot drooling toddlers.
@@starlette7820 the media was fine. i'm just saying it was still rough, bullying, it was much more cutthroat. there weren't cameras and phones everywhere so shit just went down whenever wherever.
I never thought of it before, but this video made me realize Olga was also deeply traumatized by her parents. She probably saw the beginnings of her mom's alcoholism and her dad's rage, but also saw that it "stopped" whenever she performed/was perfect. She might have even been acting perfect to get her parents to pay attention to her and not abuse baby Helga. I'm sure a baby crying would have infuriated Bob, and stressed Miriam more. To Olga as long as she was perfect her parents were kind and happy. She probably saw her constant performance as a sacrifice she was making for her baby sister so Helga could fly under the radar and just be herself. Helga herself rejected the pressure of being forced to perform by Bob in the spelling bee. Honestly both of those parents are horrible and never should have had children. I'm so glad this show tackled their lives as far too many children have Bob and Miriam as their parents.
thats a super deep insight and makes her a little more likable to me. I never cared for Olga, being the 5th of 6 children and most of my older siblings being considered geniuses. I, like Helga, became the artistic one, so I always related to her deeply. But you gave me something to think about.
sounds possible! good theory
A quick important add. Olga only ever saw her parents as happy/"healthy", never their horrible selves. Bc whenever she went home Bob was pleasant, Miriam was put together. She could have thought her staying "perfect" meant Helga could grow up with good parents. Hence why she continued to be "perfect" even after moving out. To her, Helga got to have good parents as long as she, Olga, constantly gave them something to proudly focus on. She never knew that the moment she left Helga was neglected/abused. I wonder what would have happened if Helga opened up to Olga about how their parents really act? Would Olga have tried to take Helga in?
@@flowertrue there’s an entire episode where the focus is Olga being overwhelmed by the pressure to be perfect. It’s not some insightful revelation.
@@MrRyan-wu4jx things are heating up in the hey arnold fandom
"hey helga, was that your mom?"
"as a matter of fact, arnoldo, it was."
"when did she get her license back?" - wow this one flew straight over my head as a kid, damn.
Oh wow I missed that one too😕
My reaction:
😐 🤨 🙁 ☹ 🤔 😦 😟 😫
Also shows how aware Arnold is, like how many kids know that much about their classmates.
Those "smoothies" are daiquiris 😁
@@prettyvacant3605 yeah I remember life before reaching the drinking age
Helga on the couch is seriously one of the best episodes ever, and made me feel brave enough to go see a psychologist when my parents got divorced! Great video!!!
My Mother and I watched this episode when I was a kid and it was a HUGE reason why she sought therapy for her childhood trauma. It made her realize how abuse and neglect from when we are kids can linger with us long after and how learning healthy coping mechanisms make life better. Truly an amazing show
@@Bobaily I agree! Amazing show! I am so happy your mom could do that for both of you 💚
@GirlGeek723 I love that! Mental healthcare is so important and being brave enough to break the stigma is so badass! We can all take our “Helgas” to the couch and learn to better cope and express ourselves 💕
BEYYYDAH
@@donaldotrumpo828 k…
I think Helga is a really relatable character for a lot of girls out there, especially those with neglectful parents. It's a big reason why so many girls cling to boyfriends who are jerks to them. Because their fixation on romance and boys is a coping mechanism for the parts of her life that hurt her and she doesn't know how to deal with.
Thankfully it's with Arnold.
@@arnowisp6244 Yeah, I was confused, Helga is with someone actually nice so I dind't quite follow OP's comment.
It is called limerance , a traumatic response of cPTSd ... now adays trauma can be healed through memory reconsolidation applied on good therapy . But many people ignore this
I never realized how much I resonated with her until now and I'm all grown up! Many years and and a great therapist later I can see that my quirks weren't just my spicy personality as a kid but response to my situation.
@@AmapollaOfficialI wish that Helgas family would treat her equally
I saw a take that said Helga demonstrates signs of trauma with her relationship to food. She can't rely on regular meals, so when she does get food she either eats excessively (like at the fancy restaurant) or rations it out over days (like the pork rinds). This also leads to digestive issues; we hear Miriam remind Helga to take constipation medication. But stress and anxiety can also be a cause for digestive ailments. Olga shared a story of Helga routinely wetting the bed until she was 7 years old - it's played for laughs but this paints a picture of Helga's neglect and fears manifesting throughout the crucial years of her childhood development. Poor girl has barely any control over her life.
I noticed how her subtle but intentional hesitation the animators included even when she looked back and grabbed the plate of food on the window sill despite the risk of being possibly seen by Arnold in “Helga Sleepwalks”. Spot on comment noticing her relationship with food and disordered eating throughout the series. The one opportunity she had for a well cooked, homemade breakfast made by someone who didn’t judge her presence or make demands of her/expectations (putting Gertie’s questionable mindset on the shelf for a min) and she takes it. 😢
That Helga sleepwalker made me so mad because Bob bought Chinese food and we see him eating but he does not offer or ask Helga if she's hungry, Miriam doesn't buy more groceries to replace the one she lost, And Bob doesn't offer
I like the contrast of Arnold not having parents throughout the series (technically) but turning out to be kind hearted and accepting, whilst Helga has parents who are awful people and she turned out repressing her feelings and lashed out at everyone around her.
Arnold has a situation where he doesn't know his parents but desperately wants to, where Helga does know her parents but would probably rather never see them again. Of course, Arnold has his grandparents but their relationship isn't very conventional. I think that Helga is essentially the perfect foil to Arnold.
You’re forgetting. He had kind hearted and loving grandparents raising him.
@@zerotodona1495 He said that though. He just said that it isn't conventional. Both of Arnold's grandparents are eccentric to say the least, even though they have the qualities that kids like Arnold and Helga need, it'd be tough to recreate and imitate their unique style (which in part only works with Arnold being who he is... cuz even sometimes he's just confused by the method of their madness AND the madness of their methods)
20:12 When Helga ran back to hug Dr. Bliss, that warmed my heart so much. It was so nice to see her find an adult she has a connection with and can trust. That's huge for her!
Even as a kid, I thought Helga's obsession with Arnold was creepy, but even then I understood she had shitty parents and Arnold was the first person to show her kindness. Her love may be creepy and downright psychotic at times, but she has proven that her love is real, by constantly helping him out behind the scenes and being there for him.
That's why Helga's a fan favorite.
@@Zacman1123 She's definitely a favorite of mine!
Were you also super invested in wondering if she would EVER tell Arnold her true feelings? I was. Lol.
@@malaykav You have no idea! Whenever she would get close to telling him in certain episodes, I always waited with anticipation, only to be pissed off when she backed out of telling him. I couldn't believe it when I saw the original Hey Arnold movie when she finally tells him. Naturally, I was disappointed when she went back to trying to cover it up at the end. Finally, all was corrected with my childhood at 27 years old when Arnold finally seemed to return Helga's feeling at the end of the Jungle Movie! Lol
@@TheSuperSaiyan4Gamer I was literally thinking about the Hey Arnold movie as I typing my first comment but I wasn’t sure that I remembered that movie correctly or if was some weird fever dream. Lol. Ah that one hit right in feels. Sweet sweet relief. That movie took so much weight off my little 7 year old shoulders. Like sheesh finally now I can move on with my life!😂 I can’t wait to watch this jungle movie. I gotta catch up!
I can really relate to Helga how she was hardly ever invited to anything by her peers and didn't know how to integrate and make more friends. That takes a huge blow to your self esteem, especially when you have parents who don't really take an interest in you.
Phoebe telling Helga she liked the old Helga like she didn’t also make fun of her
The symbolism of Olga's song choice while she was in her depression went over my head as a child. She played "Lacrimosa" from Mozart's Requiem on repeat. The word "lacrimosa" literally translates to weeping/tearful/mournful. A lot more fitting for the situation than I originally took for granted.
Them Pataki's sure had a flare for being very dramatic in how they express themselves. They're ALL extremists in their own way .
It's also part of a Catholic funerary ritual, and its lyrics describe the final destruction of the mortal world and its inhabitants during the Christian apocalypse.
I love the subtle implication that Arnold's grandparents (who were grieving the loss of their son and daughter-in-law and dealing with their own baggage) are part of the reason he's so kind. Grandpa drove him to preschool, stepped out of the car to make sure he got in okay, and through all his bumbling taught him to do things like share his umbrella and give compliments.
I know in a lot of episodes Grandma and Grandma are kinda kooky and maybe need to be patented by Arnold a bit, but they were probably the best parental figures in the show.
Do they ever say if they’re Arnold’s mom or dads parents?
@@totallynotalpharius2283 i think its his dad parents. The grandpa and dad has the same chin
They are his dads parents.
It’s cannon that’s most of the show is a dream
Grandma may be kooky but she is also quite wise in her madness
My man really blew right past Mariam's "Don't make the same mistake I did!" line in Olga Gets Engaged.
I noticed he didn't comment on that either.
"Beeper Queen" added to this line makes me wonder, given Bob's personality if he didn't force Merriam to give up a job she already had in order to stay home with the children.
@@laurabramblett5136 Wasn't there another episode where she and Helga are on a road trip or something and it turns out that she's really good at mechanical bull riding? It seems like she acts a lot differently when Bob isn't around.
@@ShinobiSora I thought I missremembered that episode. 😅 No, you're definitely correct that episode exist. I'm surprised this episode not only got overlooked, but having just started Seadon 2 yesterday, there are a couple more episodes he could have touched on, "Arnold's Christmas", "Arnold's Valentine", "Save the tree", and that "It's a Wonderful Life" Parody where Arnold's a magician(which I can't recall the name of at the moment). "Save the Tree" shows Big Bob ready to mow down the oldest tree in the neighborhood, even with all the neighborhood kids and Grandma sitting in the tree house, UNTIL Helga goes up, then he gets into a knock down, drag out fist fight with the bulldozer driver to try and stop him because "My kid's in there!" Proof he actually does care, he just doesn't know how to express it correctly.
@@laurabramblett5136 Always thought he abused his wife. For some odd reason
@@UnownDepth Possible, I once read a fanfic where the beeper emporium was for dr~gs and Mirriam was a "strawberry" so he could do even less savory things for Helga. Even if he's not physically abusive he's definitely emotionally abusive.
Helga’s mom in a way just replacing one “addiction” for another. A subtle hint of alcoholic transition to a workaholic and back to alcoholic. That transition between the two shows how amazing of a person she could have been. Only if she had the help she need to manage her addictive trait.
So very true!
She's probably an alcoholic because her husband is a controlling blowhard. If he wasn't she probably never would've started drinking so much
I noticed while watching this video that her speech became less slurry while she was working, showing she had sobered up while she was at work. I've been around drunks my entire life, that's something you pick up on, no matter how subtle it is. I also picked up on Big Bob asked Helga, his 9-year-old daughter to attend the meeting, before asking Miriam, who he made clear he thought was a ridiculous idea. That speaks volumes to me.
I like how they show Helga having bad traits from both her parents, depression and obsessiveness from her mom and aggressiveness from her dad.
Definitely!
Damn, the little girl voicing Helga is one hell of talented voice actress!
Like, DAMN!
Pretty sure she was a teenager at the time
@@grantmortensonvaShe started still being a girl, you notice how her voice changes as the seasons keep running
She even reprised her role in the jungle movie
Right she’s rlly good !!!!!
I have a strange feeling Arnold’s grandparents know Helga’s secret and cover up for her, they’ve known her since she was three and are aware of the Pataki family. Also props to Simmons for respecting her privacy while reading her poems.
Yeah, this video highlighted a lot of moments where there's no way the grandparents are *that* oblivious. The girl literally fell through their ceiling during breakfast and they acted like nothing happened. They have to know what's up and are trying to give her a chance for things to work out.
@@InfernosReaper In one episode we see that they probably know what's up because they were the same at that age. Grandma bullying Grandpa. So they probably feel like they should just let them be, it worked out fine for them.
Grandma 2.0
Oh yeah, there's an episode where they flashback to their own childhood. Their dynamic was very similar. They probably just think it's cute and kind of knowingly, wink and nod that it's going to work out so they don't make a big deal out of it. That's what I'd like to think it's a sweet idea.
Oh my gosh! I was in The Big Brother program. It’s so cool that they brought it up in the show.
I was at a comic con one year, and they had a panel where we could meet some of the original voice actors for Hey Arnold. Helga's voice actress was unable to make it last minute, but they called her in via the phone, and I got to ask her about her thoughts on Helga's character. She had a lot of fascinating input and I got about a ten minute or so answer. She is very, very aware of how much of a psychological character Helga is and how others view her character as well.
PS: Made it to the end! Awesome video!
that’s so cool! glad you were able to talk to her voice actor. :)
The one Comic-Con I know featured that panel discussing the Jungle TV Movie that had the original Arnold and Gerald voice actors sharing the table with the new kid voices for their former characters. In fact, Francesca Marie Smith can still pull off Helga’s voice easily in the movie.
And among the attendees, no one (not even the cast or creator Craig Bartlett) counted on Harold’s voice actor to cameo among the seated crowd.
That's really cool!
Wow!! What an awesome experience!!!!! Truly a treasure
At least they admitted they were bad parents. I'm sorry you went through that. My parents weren't in my life
On Helga's mom, it is implied in the episode "Olga Gets Engaged" that Miriam actually was very driven and successful much like Olga before she met Bob. She was a star swimmer, pro-mechanical bull rider (when she was a girl) and very driven young woman. In the episode it's implied Miriam dropped out of college to support Bob and help him build his empire, but ended up unhappy in the role and yes, is implied that she is now an alcoholic. In the episode "The Beeper Queen", Miriam has to step up and takes Bob's place because he throws his back out, and she is able to shine again-- she ends up becoming overly immersed in the role and forgets Helga in a completely different way, but we see Miriam being capable and functioning better without standing in the shadow of Bob. So, just a little more on Miriam and a theory about why she is the way she is!
Hey Arnold is one of my fave shows, I've watched it nearly a million times at this point I think haha. I'm loving this series so far, and I'm excited for the next installment!
Not to mention Miriam's description of her father sounds VERY similar to how her husband Bob speaks to her and puts down her abilities. Verbal abuse as berating her. It'll be interesting to learn about Helga's grandmother.
Ah yes, the girl being successful and then ending up miserable because of the jerk man. Sorry, but no pity here, it’s her own fault for falling for a jerk. On the contrary, why is it almost always this way? The girl being the poor victim ending up hurt by the jerk man? Why can’t we have the man be the poor party and the girl the jerk who ruined him? This happens in real life too, but no we always make the girl the successful poor party who ends up abused by the awful awful man.
Bro people can talk about 2 things it’s just in this video that’s not really a topic? I’m sure as hell that’s something that gets talked about in other videos
@@sandiego2380 Because there are a lot of big-ass loser men who find women raised by other big-ass loser men, and the cycle continues. Why is it almost always this way? Cause it's traditionally men who expect women to set aside their careers and aspirations to be homemakers. You'd be able to deduce that if you weren't so pissy about how poor men :( are being treated, d'awwwww, does baby need a pacifier~?
@@sandiego2380 Because there are a lot of big-@ss loser men who find women raised by other big-@ss loser men, and the cycle continues. Why is it almost always this way? Cause it's traditionally men who expect women to set aside their careers and aspirations to be homemakers. You'd be able to deduce that if you weren't so pissy about how poor men :( are being treated, d'awwwww, does baby need a pacifier~?
I never realized how much this show used dreams as a plot point. It makes sense, as dreams are a lot scarier and crazier as a kid. Love this series!!
My dreams are now scarier and crazier as an adult 😬 dreams are incredibly impactful parts of our lives and I'm glad Hey Arnold was able to portray how they can affect us
I dunno, my night terrors starting manifesting when I was a teen and I still have them. Google what sketches of night terrors look like and that’s pretty close to what they look like. A lot of my dreams are nightmares - but they’re also a great inspiration for my writing.
having an alcoholic parent really made Helga so relatable for me, I understood what was going on and the smoothie jokes. They really portrayed growing up with an alcoholic mother very well
Classmates know they lost their license
@@louisachalarca6494What
My mother pad addicted to prescription pain medication and I always got the implication. I just always thought her mom was a pill head too
Growing up, Helga, without a doubt, was my favorite character. I was always angry on the inside and wanted to express myself the way she did. But I never did, and let people push me around for who I was. It makes me wonder who I would be today if I acted more like her and just went with my instincts.
Oh my goodness, you’re just like I was!! I’m not alone in acting like this! The only reason why I stopped being such a pushover was because the object of my affections turned me down in the sweetest way possible (very, VERY bad depressive episode in my life) and I felt like, since he didn’t love me the way I loved him, I might as well be true to my anger and be tougher as a result - or more childish, depending on your interpretation. But honestly, I feel so good about who I am now that I’m not sure I want to be healthy - not yet anyway.
But I’ll never treat my unrequited love god the same way Helga does to Arnold, even though deep down I resented him for not figuring out I loved him. He was my Arnold, and even though he turned me down I still have a soft spot for him, and I probably always will. I fell in love when I was 10 and at a vulnerable time in my life, and it’s persevered for almost 20 years; that feeling doesn’t go away just because you want it to.
Omg same, I didn't snap until I was in high school. Which was when people stopped trying to use me. >.>
My parents were like Helga's. I was recommended for child therapy in school, and they _adamantly_ refused. They berated me, saying "you're just going to tell them about what bad parents we are, I won't have you making us look bad!"
Wow, your parents sucked then. Mine did too, and not quite the same as yours or Helga's, but pretty close. Alcohol was involved quite a bit, because of course it was.
Hope you're doing better.
🥺
My mother says we should go to therapy but I’m not allowed to talk about ‘house business’ and the one time I did the psychologist called my mom in for an interview and I had to sit outside during as soon as my mom came out threats were made and I never spoke to that woman outside of a hi in the halls again
Same but it was cause my older sisters did make up stuff and tried to get my mom in trouble at the time I didn't know that tho
If your parents had to do all that, I would’ve told it anyway. No child deserves asshole parents.
I swear grandma plays the senile card intentionally sometimes. Like to save helga. Its noteable that she seems resolute in her absurd statements. Not confused or difficult to understand as is common with senility. Like she made breakfast for helga intentionally then covered for her while she scrambled out the window. The woman knows. Shes probly the reason arnolds parents were so adventurous. She was too.
yeah we learn Gertie had a similar type of love with Phil when they were kids. where she would often tease/bully him. so I'm sure Gertie sees all the signs in Helga & purposely hid things from Arnold so Helga can eventually open up on her own when she feels ready.
@@VampirePrinceKRS i wish there was more hey arnold.
Must've been nice for Helga to get a home-cooked and well-made breakfast in the morning, and it was pretty good too since she risked being seen to go back and bring the plate. I always think that when I see that episode...
@@balanc-joy9187 i didnt notice she took the breakfast and returned the plate. Thanks man. And yeah the subtlety of this show is fantastic. Although arnolds a mary sue kinda guy. So i guess it makes sense that helga as his foil would have flaws and be very human. In my older age i actually prefer helga to arnold. We see her struggle constantly. Thats more like real life than having all the answers and being chill always like arnold is. Yeah we see him make mistakes but he is mostly perfect for a kid or any human really. Cannot relate. Lol
@@BrosBGaming Glad I could point that out! Always happy to help.
Years later I still think the writers kinda dropped the ball on Olga. With that episode mentioned here where she cries over thinking she got a B in a class and confides with Helga about being stressed out being the over achiever. It was the first time Olga was being real with Helga but this is never seen again. From then on she is returned to being over the top annoying and blissfully unaware that Helga is jealous of her. I think it would've been better in the long run if like despite having a failed relationship with her parents, Helga still has one with her sister and they see more eye to eye. Similar to Jesse Pinkman and his younger brother in Breaking Bad
It's a kid's show, not that serious, buddy.
@@MrMalicious5 then why are you watching a video essay on it lmao? It's just a kid show to you. Move on
@@Spongebrain97 I liked the show. I just think it's a little silly to expect that from a kid's show where every episode is it's own enclosed story. There's no overarching story where continuity matters. You're right, though, they could've done more with Olga/Helga.
I've always felt Olga really only cared for Helga superficially, which is the most apparent in "Student Teacher".
@@MrMalicious5 "kids show" CAN be deep and mature.
What's interesting about "Olga gets engaged" was the fact that she has to make sure that Helga approved of Doug. The fact that Helga isn't very easily manipulated by anyone and that MAYBE Olga needed her to make that judgment. If Helga let Olga get married, it's more about how Helga failed her sister by not only lying to her but also destroying Helga's moral character.
Olga plans to drop her entire future to marry and support a wannabe actor. Olga fails to see that most actors will give a hell of a performance to get what they want. She planned on marrying 3 WEEKS after meeting the guy. This can root from Bob and Miriam's marriage and how it affects their daughters.
As someone who has faced neglect growing up, it's not just about wanting attention, it's that you also act out once you get it because you don't know how to handle the attention you are finally getting. You want it, but then it makes you uncomfortable. It's an inner conflict for sure.
It makes you uncomfortable because it's incredibly vulnerable to actually be seen and noticed by people... and when you've been hurt badly like many neglected kids also are, you are scared of the thing you also crave.
It's hard to accept love, it's easier to stay closed off.. and lonely..
i'm so happy someone's doing an in-depth analysis on helga. when i was a kid, i used to think craig bartlett had a camera in my house - overworked, absent, and abrasive father + an intoxicated and uninterested mother, everyone ignoring me or treating me like garbage. i was just as closed off and angry on the outside, and just as sensitive and obsessive on the inside. but her "breakdown" episodes always made me feel less invisible. hey arnold really did such an amazing job at showing realistic perspectives of different backgrounds, and i'm so grateful for how it helped me understand myself and others.
I have always really liked Olga. She is genuinely a sweet girl but can be very naive. She loves Helga so much and admires her but Helga never really saw that. You can tell Olga wishes she had Helgas strength. And Helga wishes she had Olga’s likability.
It really makes me wish that OlgaWhat have told her parents how she feels
Olga's like, my fashion icon. xD
If the series had continued or they made more movies, I'm positive that Olga would have been cursed to have bad taste in men & several breakups & would have been jealous that Helga met her future husband in elementary school.
@@LikaLaruku There was a spin off planned based on their family, but it ultimately got dropped because Nickelodeon felt the subject matter was too dark.
I only liked her because she was voiced by Nika Futterman LOL Olga was kind of annoying to me, yet I admired that she loved her sister.
The fact the dad is aware if helga tells the whole thing about her family he could end up being jailed(?) is the saddest thing, he knows he treats her that badly.
He needs to be! They are abusing her!!!
And pretty sure his beeper empire isnt legitimate
she treats him the same
@@PeterParker-ff7ub you really thought this made sense huh?
@@PeterParker-ff7ub Parents have a different standard of behavior toward 9 year old children (or toddlers) than the other way around. Abuse is about power differential, and Helga has ZERO power. A kid yelling back at an abusive parent is not the same thing as a parent being abusive.
I kinda understand why Helga would try to get rid of Inga. First she’s a child and second Inga trying to get her to show respect to her parents even though for all of Helgas life her parents have only let her down.
Inga might be ignorant of how badly they treat Helga but telling a child to show respect to neglectful parents would only make them feel even more worthless knowing Inga thinks they are worthy of Helgas respect or that she condones how the parents treat her.
Yep I agree. It reminds me of a basic code of mine. “I’ll respect you, when you respect me.”
As a kid, I didn't really like Inga due to how she came off as being far too imposing in Helga's life. Like, I get that she's trying to help and look after her best interests, but I wouldn't bar Helga from playing sports with friends nor would I draw attention to tasks she needs to do while in front of her friends. As an adult, I definitely see where she's coming from, but, at the same time, parents don't automatically get entitled to respect when they're toxic assholes. Especially not Bob or Miriam. But, thinking about it now, her last brushing off of Helga as simply an "angry child" who "must live with" everything rubs me the wrong way and shows just how little effort she made in at least trying to see things through Helga's eyes, or even ask why she was always so angry even once.
@@jeffreyherrera5069 Yeah, Ingra was somewhat right in her assessment of *what* Helga was, but not *why* Helga was. If she had figured that out, maybe she could have reached Helga. Ultimately, though, Ingra was probably quite angry about the whole thing even if she was trying not to show it, yet said exactly the right thing to hurt Helga on her way out.
I dealt with that a lot because my grandparents raised me but they were abusive. People always told me I had to be kind and respectful after the abuse and it just made me feel hopeless.
@@InfernosReaper Yeah, she was definitely angry, especially since Helga admitted to setting Inga up and making her lose her job. However, even though she knew what Helga was about, and for all she did to try helping out with the best of intentions, Inga still went about her approach far too strongly even to the end.
I love the highs and lows of Arnold and Helga’s relationship. It’s rocky but the genuine love on her part and the understanding on his makes this such a beautiful pair of characters. Love their ark!
what i really like about Olga's affection towards Helga is that she always looks for her whenever she gets home and she kneels to Helga's level when they speak. she doesn't physically look down on her
Olga still neglected her for large parts of her life and also never seemed to make any effort to do things that Helga wanted to do or understand who Helga was. Like did she ever take Helga to WrestleMania? Did she ever notice her shrines, lockets, poems and talk to her about Arnold? I mean a psychologist spent one afternoon with Helga and saw it but Olga never payed enough attention to. In this video the guy says that Olga never did anything to Helga but I disagree. She wasn't a very good sister at all.
@@samanthony8121 I can see that. But I’m guessing it’s cause she was busy “being perfect.” You don’t just get straight A’s, awards, and accolades while just sitting at home after school. Plus, once she was able to go off to college it’s easy to see why she doesn’t want to be home much.
She probably regrets ignoring Helga as a child and wants to make up, she probably realizes their parents are crazy and want to make sure Helga is safe.
@@romanov3937 definitely this. She makes great efforts to dote on her and spend time with her, usually being pulled away by her parents (or Helga just leaving) before she can talk to Helga much.
@@samanthony8121 you're very wrong, but you do you.
Can we talk about Phoebe and everything she goes through for Helga? Their relationship isn't healthy but it's pretty interesting.
yea Helga is quite nasty to Phoebe sadly and they're FRIENDS? seems true to life at times, some individuals are crappy friends. we know as an audience Helga is actually good but people in real life you couldnt see all these sides of them unless you get to know them well
@Alysia Williams They had an entire episode examining this in the one where Phoebe faked needing to continue wearing a cast when she realized how Helga was actually willing to be caring and kind and giving.
@@oooh19 Helga does actually care for Phoebe though and vice-versa and yes there are times where their friendship isn't always healthy but Helga has definitely helped Phoebe from time to time such as when she cheered Phoebe up after she was upset about Ronnie Matthews and when Phoebe confided in Helga about the 6th grade girls using her and Helga convinces her to stay in the 6th grade. It's also implied that Helga was devising some sort of revenge against the 6th grade girls. Helga also backed Phoebe up when she was chastising Rhonda for wearing a fur coat and called Rhonda out for her bitchy behavior towards Curly
@@neonflights5951 true that
Helga and Phoebe always reminded me of Duke and Honey from Doonesbury, I wonder if it was a deliberate reference, the relationship is so similar, and Phoebe is drawn so much like Honey that I can’t help but wonder if that was an intentional homage.
As a child of neglect, helgas character traits are so unbearably accurate. Trying to come to terms that there’s someone out there who really cares about you after it’s beaten into your head that you’re invisible is so difficult. It’s hard for us to trust that the person actually wants good for us because all we’ve ever known is being invisible. I’d rather go unnoticed than have attention on me, it’s always been that way in my experience
A word.
^
The grade episode also proved how shallow Bob and Miriam actually are. It shows that their love for Olga, while greater than Helga’s, was purely conditional. Neither of them actually made a genuine attempt to understand their daughter or try to get her help. Bob thought that spending money on material means would fix everything, while Miriam couldn’t be paid to care.
You know, re-watching the Inga section, I can get why Helga was annoyed. Inga wanted the best for her, but she was also forcing her into behaving in a way she wasn't confortable with. With all the trauma, of Course Helga would reject such forcefully behaviour and attitude
Helga was in the wrong, but Inga showed a lack of professionalism and understanding during this time with Helga
I was thinking the same. It was kind of brutal what she said to Helga in the park. I assume if she knew that about her and could say that she could accept that she may have come at Helga wrong. But perhaps the postcard fixed it. 🤷🏽♂️
@@h3zANDRU I think it's more of a cultural thing. Bob's side of the family seem to on the surface be brutish, blunt, temperamental and rough around the edges, but there's always warmth and love in the intentions. Helga herself having those tendencies shouldn't be harmed by that. If anything, it'll make someone like her more stubborn... Which she gets from her dad. Hence why, Personalities like Helga's gravitate towards the more empathetic and gentler personalities to trust ( Phoebe and Arnold).
Interesting how the names are similar... Inga, Olga, Helga. Only difference is Olga has her mom's personality, so she is easier to manipulate and control (Helga isn't because she got Bob's stubbornness and prefers to do the bossing around)
I feel that Inga stood out....i mean....have YOU seen a stereotypical Swedish maid in a city?
Exactly 😏
I understood Miriam's alcoholism as a small child. Their hints were the exact opposite of subtle lol.
Yeah… especially as someone with an alcoholic parent
@@ineffablemars that probably helped me too lol. That and watching the Simpsons from a very early age. It's pretty easy to compare her mannerisms and speech patterns to someone like Homer or Barney.
@@XKloosyvv ooh, very true! That’s funny I’m the opposite. I never saw a full episode of the simpsons until a couple years ago 😅 - now I’m obsessed!
@@XKloosyvv so, if you’re first example of it wasn’t this than it’s easy to spot. You just weren’t innocent
I think that very well may have been the point because apparently in the original run ideas they just straight up wanted to make her an alcoholic but Nickelodeon wouldn't allow it so literally the only thing they did to censor it was trade alcohol for smoothies
One thing I find very interesting about Olga is how, at 15, she completely ignored Helga needing to go to preschool so she could continue to play the piano that impresses her parents so much. Something that isn't talked about often in abusive or neglectful households with multiple children is how survival instincts can cause the children in a situation like that to essentially "turn" on each other. Although Helga's parents are not actively harming her physically, their extreme neglect and their mom's alcoholism is still a form of abuse. Olga manages to essentially "buy" her parents attention and love by being perfect, but Helga is a constant reminder that at any moment, her parents could stop caring about Olga. Olga sees her parents' love as transactional. And as a result, Olga's survival instincts are to keep her parents praising her and focusing on how perfect she is, even to the detriment of Helga. maybe even deliberately to sabotage Helga. because it's the only way Olga knows how to get parental affection.
I feel as a young adult, Olga is now in a place where she is still not willing to acknowledge or come to turns with her parents' neglectful nature, and as such still plays into the "perfect daughter" persona purely out of learned behaviour. But she's now an adult, and probably feels bad on some level that Helga always gets the short end of the stick, and worried that Helga resents her for her sabotage when they were children together. And this is why Olga is so smotheringly nice and overly affectionate with Helga. She's hoping by "being nice" now, she can mend the relationship and get that sibling love in the transactional way she's learned how to deal with relationships. The problem is Helga doesn't buy her act. This causes Olga to be more manipulative than she probably realises. I don't think Olga even knows she's doing this.
Olga has a loooooot of therapy in her future. She's just as screwed up as Helga is. And, ironically, just like Helga, it's because of their parents' neglect and abuse. Just because it's on the opposite end of the spectrum, doesn't mean it's any less harmful or damaging.
She's gonna want to sort that out before she starts dating anyone seriously 😬
This is a fantastic comment. Thank you for doing this analysis and sharing your ideas in such a cogent, well written way.
I’ve seen thoughtful comments in this section that suggest Olga used her perfectionism to shield Helga, but at least as a 15-year-old, she was actively participating in the neglect of a defenseless toddler.
Sometimes even this video treats the sisters as if their moral decisions are equal in weight, but they can’t be. Olga is a young adult, and Helga is a _fourth grader._ She’s an actual child-albeit a brilliant one-and that means something.
Part of this is the fact that it’s a show for children, in which children handle crazy situations, but Helga also seems tasked with unusually adult burdens. She’s 9-10 and rescuing her adult sister from a deceitful groom. I remember a late episode in which she imagines her future with Arnold-but also as martial arts expert, woman of culture, special operative, and US President. And all of that seems entirely in character.
The Golden Child and the Scapegoat. Both trying their damndest to survive and both suffering in different ways.
This is a wonderful analysis
She’s the Golden child , most don’t change . They pretend until they need there parents love . They will use the black sheep of the family to make their parents angry then when the fire get to hit throw them under the bus
The survival instinct thing happened to me too. I turned on my sister even though we are really close and inseparable, even now. We are over that now and avoid our abusers.
I just realized something, you said Arnold was Helga light in her darkness meaning he was the only good thing Helga had going in her life, the only thing she look forward to. In Helga love potion episode, looking back at that episode and all the episodes about Helga life and her family. I realized Helga would have been severely depressed without him because again. Her love for Arnold was her passion and being obsessed with him brought her joy and happiness when being around her family make her empty. She even said “I don’t feel anything except I’m bored.” And “I’m not high I’m not low.” That episode pretty dark when you realized without Arnold in her life or being madly obsessed with him. Helga would have been a depressed girl with no care for the world around her.
The amount of times Helga straight up breaks into Arnold’s house is outrageous and honestly, respectable 😂
It's my favorite episode
I don't respect the stalking but I respect the dedication to not getting found out😂
Lol! One of my fav moments of Helga breaking into arnold's house was when she came crashing through his room while the other boys were over and she slowly walks out and the boys including Arnold does nothing like its normal 😂😂😂
What if it was a guy breaking in to a woman's house? Still "respectable"?
@kenma6474 and yet, here we are watching an almost 2 and a half hour long in-depth analysis of this kid's cartoon....
This jarred an ancient memory of how my regular-type blue collar dad totally hated big Bob when I was a kid watching this show, he'd walk by and say "holy fuck what an asshole" 😂
My mother originally didn't care for Helga, but there was an episode where they showed Merriam's detachment to everything going on and my mother asked what was wrong with her. Having never made the alcoholism connection, I answered, "She's not really a people person, or a morning person." And my mother flat out added, "Or a person?"
God I'm in my 30s and my dad will still periodically say to me "I still wonder how that Helga Pataki is doing." It's lead to us watching "Helga on the Couch" on illegal websites with weird ads a few times haha. I love Helga and am fascinated and horrified by her family. I used to want to be a therapist and I think part of what got me interested in it initially was the process of Dr Bliss's therapeutic techniques. The way she befriends Helga to gain her trust, asserts some boundaries like no socking Brainy but legitimizes Helga's obsession.
I've never made a sculpture out of used gum but I'm obsessive with loving people who don't like me in my own way. I can really relate to Helga's anxious attachment style.
@@joshuahutchings558 But Arnold does like Helga. They eventually get together.
God I hope he didn't see Oskar. Bro would have gone nuts witnessing him
It's crazy Helga was picked to have a spin-off and that Dr.Bliss be part of the show. But sadly show didn't get picked up due it being too dark. Which is fair because of neglect shown on a "kids show" level. Show would've been nice for complex character
Great episode btw
Yo is this true? That would have been interesting
They could make that show now and target it toward the adults who watched the original series as kids. We would eat it up.
with how writers are nowadays, i dont know... 🥶
@@joshuahutchings558 yeah that can totally work. Or make the show more adult , since the kids that watched it originally are all grown
@@excaliber8713 yeah it could be either more mature or for kids. I'd watch it either way.
I think we've gotten enough hints to be pretty sure Arnold (who's a perceptive and emotionally intelligent dude for a 9 year old) understands that Helga's home life is just absolute shit. When she's at her lowest he often reaches out to her and asks her if she's okay or needs anything, and she vents to him enough that he's probably got a reasonable picture by now. It sounded like her mom had a DUI and he knew about it. I don't know that he necessarily understands the way that everything happening in her life is fucking her up, exactly - he seems confused about why she reacts the way she does to things or feels the way she does about them, but he at least recognizes that her home life is unhappy and it's fucking her up.
It's a really interesting dynamic that on one hand feels too adult for 4th grade and then I think back on 4th grade and hoo boy. We did all know a lot of dark shit about each other's families when I was that age, and we also all knew not to get caught alone by that one male teacher. Kids know shit, and they are exposed to trauma, and they get abused, and that kind of stuff does not make it into most kids media because it makes adults uncomfortable.
Exactly, kids are much more perceptive than many adults give them credit for, which is why they obvious cries of abuse (like when a child straight tells an adult that they've been touched in a no no place) gets ignored because the adults don't want to admit that their child is being abused in front of their eyes and that children couldn't "possibly know" about such acts.
Agreed, can’t stand how most cartoons talk down to kids and try to force feed lessons. Kids are perceptive sponges and not every child has a happy perfect safe life. In fact most probably don’t and deal with some form of darkness in their home lives. I know I did with my mom leaving so many times and me wondering as a child why my mom was gone again. A character in a show with a perfect mother making them a lunch and paying attention to their every need was not something I could relate to. In fact, it only made me feel isolated if that was how most mothers were and mine was not, was there…maybe something wrong with me? But Helga having a flawed, neglectful mother was something I Could relate with. In a weird way, it was a bit comforting. Not that she was suffering but it was like an acknowledgment in a way.
I'm rewatching these because they're such good deep dives, and I realized that in the previous episode at the start, we watched Helga hang around with Phoebe and that pop star, and the amount of food she eats at the diner is astounding; I realized Helga's eating so much because she's barely fed at home. Makes it so sad!
Jesus love you
I think Craig Bartlett once said that Grandma Pookie uses her age as an excuse to get away with whatever she wants. She’s actually sane.
I think that theory went out the window when she climbed through poop to excape a holding cell she would be let out in a day
@@lelelew2735 To be fair, their home was to be demolished and they were running out of time, plus Arnold and Gerald would've been dead if she hadn't escaped earlier.
One episode about a crazy hot day shows it was too hot for even her to keep the act up.
Fucking knew it
There's something really sweet and emotionally smart about an educator like Simons
The fact that he reads Helga's poem outloud because he truly enjoys it but also respects and recognizes her need of privacy, "signed anonymous". Very sweet.
Right I little details like that really can do so much for a show
Yeah, Mr Simons was such a good man and a good teacher. He wasn't the kind of teacher that saw his students as a "class" but a room full of individual students who are special in their own way.
The episode where Helga sees the therapist is one of the best and well written episodes. It’s actually really deep especially watching it back as an adult
Aww mad respect for Helga. I can relate to this character
Right? When I was researching for this video I definitely found a new level of respect and admiration for Helga.
Thanks for watching, I really appreciate your support 😌
@@DuskTillShawn I agree. I used to watch this show back when Nickelodeon became available here in Hungary in the late '90s, and while the setting of most of the shows were unfamiliar to me, I loved the characters. Helga is absolutely my favorite character in Hey Arnold, we share more than I care to admit, even to this day... what happens in one's childhood stays around forever. I also loved "As Told by Ginger", and "The Wild Thornberrys" because they were quite serious iirc. I miss those times.
Also people who are abused or used to neglect/being invalidated quite often sabotage positive relationships since it's not what they're used to. Sort of a "I don't deserve this. Never did and never will. How can you like me when my family never did?" It's super sad but another trait I've noticed in Helga.
In the episode where Helga throws the spelling bee, it was nice seeing her not be afraid of big Bob because ik there's a lot of situations where doing such a thing could risk a very severe punishment from their parent(s). Obv this is a cartoon, but I still felt better about her situation knowing she wouldn't be in physical danger even if her whole backstory is very sad generally
The saddest part is that she’s on a whole other level of neglect. In Olga’s case, yes, a mistake like that could have ended up with a punishment. But Helga, is much more neglected. Her every mistake, never gets her even punishment. In my opinion her brash and overall antagonistic attitude is because, as the guy here said, it gets her attention, even if it’s a bad one. But when it comes to family, she’s not getting even the bad kind of attention. She just exists there in her own world, living by her own.
Even in cases where a kid knows they are going to get physically hurt by a parent/guardian because of something that happened, it can still be really empowering to seize control like that, especially in a public setting where the parent is going to be facing social consequences from their peers. If you're going to be in the shit no matter what you do why not go hard?
“You’re lucky they don’t even notice you.”
Damn that line hits hard
I love how everyone overlooks how Brainy knows Helga's secret too.
He could reveal it, as revenge for all the face punches, but he doesn't.
Brainy, what a chad
[SPOILRS]
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The final movie seemed to reveal he loved Helga. He'd rescue her locket of Arnold. He loves her, but knows she only loves Arnold, and even when she casts it away in anger, he goes after it and keeps it safe for her sake. He's loving and true, in a self-sacrificing way. Truly, what a little gentleman. ;_;
If I remember correctly, in a book for the show about Brainy, it's revealed he is also very romantic and poetic in the same way Helga is, and I think that's why he starts liking Helga. He's overall just such a good guy 😂
@@kireiscorner Yes, 'Arnold's E-files' was the book. I read it recently.
I just always thought she socked him so hard he forgot 😮 I was young and thought one hit is all it took lol 😅
As problematic as Bob and Miriam are, I love that through the course of the show they show moments of empathy and care for Helga. It generally doesn’t last, but the fact they are capable of such is extremely relatable.
But also sad since they don’t care enough to love her all the time
The honestly disturbing "you make my girlhood tremble" line would have happily gone over my head when I was a kid if my mom hadn't been in the living room all those years ago and blew tf up with laughter telling my stepdad what she just heard in a kid's show. (she would NOT STOP TALKING ABOUT IT also 😂)
Even though in reality it's normal for kids that age to start feeling things they don't quite understand, and it's supposed to be a joke for the adults, I'd forgotten why exactly Helga's crush on Arnold made me so uncomfortable lmaooo
I watched the whole thing, it was really really good. Helga is a very complex character and so much stuff can be said about her. In the beeper episode it seems like Miriam replaced her addiction to alcohol to a work addiction. Like she has a very addictive personality.
I like how Helga perfectly managed to write a fake romantic break up letter considering how experienced she is at writing poems of the like
I believe that Helga thought if there was no note or some kind of explanation for David's sudden departure, Olga probably would've had a really bad nervous breakdown or something major. She did it because she wanted Olga to realize this was a learning experience so she could stay in school and not make the same mistake their mother made, which was drop out of school and give up her dreams of swimming on the Olympic swimming team to support Bob with his business empire.
That is if you don't mind me asking a question or two why do ladies put the toilet tissue in the bathroom with the hanging piece towards the wall most men do it the opposite way also why do girls look away when you touch your beard also why do women flip their hair when they walk past you I know that all of those women cannot like me so it has to be something else. A little help please
@@toolguyslayer1 what
I miss when cartoons felt real, when you could picture yourself being in the main character’s shoes and understand what they were going through. It’s insane how much I (and I’m sure many others) can relate to Helga. I’ve never seen another kid cartoon protagonist like her
Cartoons do this...imo too many do to the point it's a bit overused.
@@Akira00920 not many children’s cartoons do this. Sure a character can be “relatable” but not many have a character that lives the way you do and acts the same way. Like all of the weirdness included. I didn’t say Helga was the first, but she’s definitely one of the few from a kids cartoon
What about Angelica from Rugrats? Or the bullies from Catdog? Debbie and Eliza from Wild Thornberries. Ed and Eddy.
I know im listing off cartoons back in the same time as Hey Arnold and I also know where you're coming from with your statement. Cartoons became less relatable as time goes on. I just wanted to list off some cartoons I could think of that related to your comment.
@@Ammut6 no I understand! I guess I’m biased because I relate to Helga the most. I wish there were more cartoons where kids could watch cartoons and know that they aren’t alone. That it’s normal for them to have certain feelings and act certain ways. I also don’t know much about the shows you listed (Rugrats I know the most about, but I haven’t watched it in years). It’s like people now don’t understand that cartoons are sometimes the only source of advice they get in their lives (since there are horrible parents out there)
@@katlyndobransky2419 I only listed those shows because I've been rewatching a lot of them as an adult now to see what messages I missed as a child. I too relate with Helga a lot. I absolutely wish and hope that cartoons moving forward can stick with the same concepts as 90s shows like Hey Arnold and all the others. Sure kids won't catch a lot of the messages but I think thatvthey slowly and subtly are burned/learned over time.
I like the line "quantity time." Bob is a giant in retail electronics so quality doesn't even stick in his mind
Helga may have been aggressive but it’s a defense mechanism after having to practically survive with her parents constantly neglecting her. She wants to be loved and even wants to have her own family. When she talks to the therapist about Arnold and her love she describes what she sees her life with him and she wants it to happen.
I'm always going to be disappointed that the Patakis spin off never happened. That would have been such a fantastic way to grow with the viewer base and tackle the difficult aspects of Helga's life that they couldn't go into as much because of the target audience age.
I'm also always going to be convinced that the main character of Hey Arnold was in fact Helga and not Arnold. None of the other 'side' characters get as much attention as Helga did and she was also I think one of the few that speaks in pretty much every episode.
I had no clue a spin off was attempted.
@@finchboratthat wouldve been hard tho
I have the same feeling about the spin-off. Learning about stuff that was never able to be made is often depressing, but that one ESPECIALLY hits hard.
The info I remember reading about the spin off lives rent free in my head.
I also think that Big Bob is in a way aware their family is dysfunctional. I mean he did tell Helga not to talk to Dr.Bliss about their problems, and I think he feared that he and Miriam may have to face their issues or Dr.Bliss may even call social services/CPS on them due to the verbal and emotional abuse and anger he's perpetrating and Miriam's alcoholism and neglect. I also think Olga is very sheltered and naive. Like in the ep with the fiance, she believed this guy absolutely...even when he wrote that fake letter in the end. She fell for such an obvious fake. Her parents always praised her and I think kept her in a sort of bubble. Because she doesn't seem to notice Miriam's problems or her father's temper and shallowness. And that's bc both Bob and Miriam are on their best behavior when she's around. They're happy and affectionate...and again, they gave her all the love and attention. Olga grew up with a picture-perfect family and thus has no idea how different her experience is from Helga's. She probably assumes they're being treated the same.
I think you’re 100% correct!!!
Thanks for watching and commenting, Nina.
@@DuskTillShawn I mean Bob often reffers to Helga as The Girl/That Girl. Which...I don't think was meant to be disturbing to that extent but I've noticed that murderers often reffer to their victims, ones that they knew/had connection to as "the girl" or "that child" ect as a way to a) distance themselves from them and b)possibly dehumanize them. as for Helga and Olga, I don't get too annoyed at Helga for blaming Olga for all the neglect stuff...well a lot of people would, but Helga is a child. She's only 9 and while she can be smart in some ways and make deeper observations she's still on the development level of a child her age, when it comes to emotional maturity and her father and mother surely don't help with their behaviour. I mean studies say that kids can't really detect nuance and read between the lines until they're like 12...so it makes sense she'd see the world in more black-white colors
@@ninavale. so many adults can't see nuance or read between the lines though either lol
WRONG she knows holga doesn't get the same amount of attention even stated in video she says she's under lots of pressure to be perfect too
I never realized how much time Helga has spent in Arnold's room. This makes me question if she just creepily chills in there sometimes...
She. Watched. Him. Undress. OMG 😅
@@flowertrue yep
i always say hey arnold is helgas show through her eyes
She’s like Sarah from gumball
Helga is a broken hearted child with neglect from her parents and pretty much everyone around her.
She hides her emotions behind her anger, her anger is the fear of being rejected and hated. But the way how Arnold was nice to her the only person who showed her kindness and how to care for someone.
Arnold is her escape from every bit of abuse she fears to get.
Neglect from her parents drives her away from her sister olga who only wants the best for Helga and just wants to get along with her as sisters should.
But no matter what Helga will be there for olga no matter how bad she shows hatred (jealousy) for her.
Jealousy, fact of being neglected from olga getting all the attention (olga is also suffering due to everyone wanting her to be perfect when she wants to be herself)
Her anger and attitude is her way of defending herself
and to Arnold, she's not used to someone being nice to her dispute picking on him. She's only defending and protecting her feelings cause she's afriad of being rejected.
Letting out her true emotions when she's alone is something we all can relate to. But she does it in her own way like we all do~ she does it with poems which is her strong point of how to let things out
I can personally relate to helga and I am not afraid to say it~ I Kin her I understand where she's coming from
Mentally abused by parents (NOT my dad he's a total sweetheart)
My mom is the mentally abusive one
I tend to defend myself under anger, take it out on others when I was her age. But I won't lie I did have one person who was there for me and I did have a crush on him always being nice to me and treating me like a person. Like I existed when everyone else ignored me or just felt like I wasn't there. I felt noticed and welcomed all the time. I still thank him today for being the friend I needed. Yes like Helga is to Arnold, I picked on him and his friends sometiems but not as bad as Helga did.
I always let my emotions out my true feelings when I'm alone, in my own way which is the one thing people never see.
I can personally relate to helga on a high level ~ in my own way 💌
My god, the relationship between Helga and Olga gets me so emotional. It reminds me of the rocky and disconnected relationship my older sister and I had, when we were younger, reverse the roles of who relates to who more. We're closer than ever now and can look back and understand one another and how our pasts effected us and how we saw one another.
I think that Brainy potentially guards Helga's secret as fiercely Phoebe, or possibly even more so. Arguably that boy is his own can of worms, the fact that he usually seems to be right over Helga's shoulder during some of her more private moments actually suggests almost a mirror obsession, that to my knowledge the show never actually delves into. But that being said, Brainy has heard Helga's impassioned speeches enough times that he would easily recognize her poetry. So in instances like when her little pink book fell into the wrong hands, or when Bob's parrot got adopted by Arnold, Brainy could have easily went "guys, I know who it is.. teehee". But he never does.. even after the years of abuse at her hands, he protects her secret.
He even, seemingly, gets so worried by her change in demeanor after she drinks the "anti-love potion" that he panics and punches himself in the face. And then later when she found out she had just paid $10 for fancy grape-drank and she kisses him, Brainy's demeanor seems equally confused and relieved. That kiss and their interaction at the end of "Helga on the couch", coupled with things you pointed out about her character lead me to believe that Helga may potentially be aware of Brainy's... well awareness.. without it ever being expressly acknowledged by the series to my knowledge.
Honestly, I'd never payed much mind to Brainy before this video. But in your editing all the scenes of Helga dipping off to privately expound on her feelings you repeatedly cut (and I understand why) the eventual scene of Brainy getting punched in the face. Which would have went right over my head honestly, but you lead this episode with "Helga on the couch", in which you showed us the first time Helga ducked off to revel in her feelings, and the fact that Brainy was there. So then at every edit a little part of my brain went "Brainy was there.. oh, he was there to.. yep, then she hits Brainy". I know that the chances of it being a running gag that the writers of the series didn't pay much thought to is high.
But to look at it through an overarching lens, as your series is want to do, I can find no other possible in universe theory other then Brainy knows and guards Helga's secret.
Thanks for the thought experiment lol. Looking forward to the next one,
Your friendly neighbourhood Fatchick
Pretty sure it's just the running gag. Like South Park did with Kenny. Except South Park finally explored ideas with Kenny. I wish Brainy at least had a dedicated episode.
So, I'm not the only one who thinks Brainy's BOUND to know, but protects her secret? I litterally said something along the same thing in my admittedly really long comment before I even started reading other comments. 😅
I think he does considering his actions in the Jungle Movie.
I thought he was in love with her, which makes more sense.
@@blaiktrout376 It's very likely. There's no way neither Brainy or Mr Simmons are unaware of Helga's "Secret" and it's more likely both of them know as much as if not more than Phoebe, just because Mr Simmons has been reading Helga's creative writing assignments and Brainy's always right there wheezing in her ear. But, yes, he probably has a crush on her, too. In "Operation Ruthless", he landed himself in the same boat as her in the Tunnel of Love and she reacted as per usual to him putting a hand on her shoulder. This evidence added to him punching himself when she doesn't because he didn't know how to handle it, and him fainting when she kissed his forehead would indeed lead one to believe he has a crush on her.
Helga is probably my favorite character in hey arnold because i grew up in an abusive household and the feelings from the trauma she has is deeply relatable. Alot of the episodes that are focused on her situations make me tear up cause i feel a little of myself in them
Helga is like the Zuko of the show. She's the key to all of it.
I'm really impressed with how this show handles therapy. It's about exploring yourself and coming to terms with whatever you find, and less about "fixing" you.
lol y’all always bringing up anime 🤦🏾♂️
@@MrAjking808 Avatar's a cartoon, bro
people say to others "you need therapy" which is judgmental though in that context
@@oooh19 I think everyone needs therapy.
@@mrbanks456 yea but it costs a lot of $$ many people who'd benefit can't afford it. plus like Big Bob pointed out "we didn't have therapy when i was a kid" well he would have benefited from it most
How bout Big Bob's reaction to Merriam's "Don't make the same mistake I made" quote. XD i'm dead
I never actually considered until this video that Olga didn’t fall in a huge depression because she got a low grade. She spent all her life feeling like she had to be perfect and not living up to the expectations everyone forced on her terrified her.
When I was a kid, I always thought that she was genuinely sad about not getting straight As and also felt bad for having to perform to her parents. It wasn’t until this video that I understood that Olga didn’t really care about the grades, she cared about what people and specifically her parents would think of her if she didn’t appear perfect.
I always liked the fact that a lot of the hey Arnold characters had rough storylines like Lila being poor(and possibly losing the family farm) or helgas family storyline or Arnold's parents
When Arnold notices Helga it makes me cry every time. love your videos ❤
Inga's presence is also interesting bc she's not just this spoiling grandma figure, she's also challenging the comfort of the free feeling aimlessness that a child dealing with neglect learns to enjoy as a coping mechanism. She gives her nice food, but also is making sure she does her homework. Kids do need that type of tough love, but Helga was able to point to the toughness to justify framing her for theft.
I had an oddly similar experience to Helga dealing with Miss Slovak's obsession with her sister. My fifth grade teacher was the only elementary school teacher that I hated, and she constantly compared me to my older sister. My mom commented that during my parent teacher conference that year, her reverence for my sister bordered on creepy. When my sister was home from college and took me out of school to take me to lunch, she announced to the class that she was her favorite student of all time. God that year was miserable.
Darn that's creepy. 😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳
I have a sort of similar experience, only from the perspective of the older sister. My younger sister and I had the same art teacher in high school. This teacher had me in the sixth grade for art and then for 3 years in high school. She really liked my works and whatnot. Then, when my sister entered tenth grade, this teacher was constantly comparing my sister's works to mine, saying stuff like, "why can't you be more dedicated like your sister, your work ethic sucks." Yes, she really said that to my sister and when I heard that, I got so pissed off at this teacher because she wasn't letting my sister be her own person, to have her own methods in art and mediums. I wished I could've told this teacher that my sister and I aren't the same person, that we're two different unique people.
I made it to the end, also, interested to know, how Pheebs and Helga became such good friends that Helga let her know the secret, and she’s loyal enough not to tell? That’s a helluva friendship there.
Loyal people exist.
A One- sided one. The only way a "friendship" with someone like Helga could work is if you allow disrespect, are meek, and allow her to dominate. I've been Phoebe in the majority of my "friendships". Sad thing is, you're NEVER truly appreciated for your kind heart, but moreso what you can do for these users and how well you take their shit. The same shit that they wouldn't take an OUNCE of from you.
@@KayleneRomero-oz7yz I feel your pain. I was a soundboard for friends like Helga and the moment I said something they didn’t like I was cut loose. Like wtf I was loyal and supportive but nah, can’t have a mind of my own I guess.
Child psychologist here,
Watching this again (since I was a kid, lol) it made me realize a ton of stuff about Helga's background.
1) The way Helga's paretns (specially her father) props up Olga makes it clear that she's a narcissistic projection from them. Bob may have wanted a boy, but the fact that his firstborn is a girl may have made him lay onto her daughter to make her into the version of success that he thinks himself as. As a result, she's been raised as a narcissist, dependent on the feedback of her emotional objects to compensate for her internal structure deficits (the reason why she broke down because of the B+ is because her actions led her peception to believe that her emotional objects ie. her parents & those around her, would reject her, and made her neurotic anguish go into overdrive). Another argument for this diagnosis is her overtly cheery, sometimes childish, sometimes seductive, attitude. She draws attention and she knows it; as long as the attention she draws is possitive, her psyche will remain in order.
2) Helga's mother shows signs of a personality disorder, probably anxiety or depression related. The fact that she's depicted as a taciturn, forgetful person may also indicate that she's on meds, probably ananxyolitics. This comes in hand with Bob's narcissistic personality, since his dismissiveness and emotional predispositions makes apparent that he's a manipulator; and his job in sales only compounds this perception.
3) Due to the embironment she grew up in, Helga has developed an "emotional cuirass" that has made her "mature" faster. It's typical in children that suffer abuse in ther early years to seem to "grow up faster" as a "survival mechanism" against the omnipresent danger of lashing out from their parents. This is compounded by Helga's age (9-10), which places her in an age bracket where her emotions (specially those pertaining to attraction and anger) should be heavily ofuscated. The fact that they aren't, that Helga shows her attarction through acting out against her objects, as well as a cynical attitude and overall emotional unstability, indicate that she's "stuck" in an earlier stage of bio psychological development. She's a kid that has a lot of repressed aggression against her parents and sister, but due to her circumstances, she can't show it, or, moreover, express it other than through the objects that she has more easily at hand: her classmates, specially Arnold.
I think Helga desperately needs therapy, and when she did receive it, her spychologist noticed that she was someone who needed ways to sublimate her chaotic emotions, hence why she let her act in her consultory, treating it as she would treat her "family framing" back home, but couldn't in the real world, and only when she helped her put those emotions in order and realize the state of her affective relations did the therapy really began (at the end of the episode, as it's often the case irl).
I'm sure I missed things, but Hey Arnold is a really long series, and a complete evaluation woudl require more details that it doesn't provide.
Anyway, good video DuskTillShawn, I really appreciate it!
Maybe you should write a paper?
You say you're a child psych, and I feel no reason not to believe you. You're clearly into the show's innerworkings (which of course there's plenty of). In addition, you point out the things that can't be covered in a forum like this.
Hell, as an (still) aspiring writer, maybe I should compose a short piece, having interest in this myself. But this is obviously more of a personal digression.
Anyway, you should write up something.
Yawn get a real job
With Olga and the B+, I feel like it could be more of her becoming a perfectionist than a narcissist. After all, she's been successful at almost everything and isn't completely use to even the slightest of slip ups.
Whats your diagnosis for curly? Lol
Olga had a breakdown when she thought she got a B+ because her parents taught her their love for her is conditional and nobody, not even them would love her if she is anything but perfect which is a fear they immediately confirm to be real by acting like she is worthless after getting a lower than usual grade
And Miriam is not taking pills, she is an alcoholic, all through the show she is seen drinking "smoothies", is shown to crave them and claims to need them to function, there's even an episode where she quits the smoothies in order to work and immediately becomes a workaholic, there's also other clues like Arnold seeing her driving and asking Helga "when did your mom get her license back?" and her having to do community service
Helga is deeply tragic. Sure she's aggressive but all she wants is a loving family. It's sad really because there ARE episodes that show Miriam and Bob love her, but not enough. Poor girl.
It’s sad that no matter how many times Helga and Olga make amends, Helga will never stop seeing her as the golden child who stole her parents love from her.
Eh, Helga's nine. Nuance is hard when you're nine. Obviously we'll never know what Teen Helga would be like since the show's about nine-year-olds, but in that kind of family dynamic things can change drastically with age, especially as Olga continues to grow up and hopefully distances herself from her parents expectations. In a few years, Helga might well be unofficially living with Olga. Olga does care about her and does already know that the problem for both of them is their parents - I think once she gets her feet under herself as proper adult she would probably reach out. It's not an unusual dynamic, for an older sibling or cousin who knows what home is like to step up in that way for a younger kid.
@@iesika7387 Now that I think about it, I’m pretty sure that Bob and Miriam’s love was purely conditional. When Olga fell for Doug, they were pretty quick to turn on her. And when Olga was feeling depressed, Bob sought out material means to cheer her up, while Miriam couldn’t have cared less.
She'll need to see Dr. Bliss in therapy for a long time to heal from what she's been through. Her psychologist might guide her towards realizing that things could at least somewhat improve with her sister. She can show her how to properly communicate and get past resentment towards Olga.
Helga is always the golden child an only uses Olga when she needs her
1:00:21 I love the subtle word change here where Bob says that they need to spend "quantity" time together instead of "quality" time with Helga. This show has so many things that would go over ones head like this and it just adds to the depth of the writing in this amazing show.
Real talk as someone who had absent parents that checks out bc it literally didn't matter the quality of the time bc I was just looking for any time at all 🙄 ended up being fat as a kid from McDonald's trips on the weekend when I got to see my mom or dad bc that's all we ever really did together. I never realized how much I related to Helga as a kid but I see it now. Luckily years of therapy seem to have helped me out
My personal head-canon is that after the jungle movie: Helga will be introduced to Arnold’s parents and grandparents and develop some kind of bond with them that she had never had with her own family; especially Miles and Stella who could give her the parental love ❤️ that Bob and Miriam couldn’t be bothered to give her 🥹🥰
The Inga portion kinda makes me want to write a sequel where an older Helga reconciles with Inga. It’d be nice for Inga to be proud of how much Helga had changed since they last met, as well as her apologizing for trying to make her suck up to her ignorant parents so often (and Helga herself apologizing for trying to sabotage her career)
I would read it.
Beeper Queen is probably one of the big reason normal explanations on why her mother's an alcoholic. Maybe she used to love working but had to give it all up so Bob could start his beeper Empire thus not making her happy being a housewife
I remember in the episode where Olga got engaged, Miriam revealed that she was supposed to compete on the Olympic swimming team but gave it up for Bob. Like in that moment, her face lit up when Doug mentioned Olympic swimming and then once she revealed she gave it up, she went back to her sour demeanor. Seems like Bob has this control over her where he believes the wife is supposed to stay home all day to cook, clean and raise a family while the man works. But like my friend once told me, in this day and age, both parents need to share responsibilities, especially when it comes to paying off student loans and putting food on the table.
@@CourtneyLachiver Lol. Forget about paying your Student Loan debts.
@@CourtneyLachiver Some Women find there happier as housewives. Others in working. It's clear Miriam at least Prefers working especially since at Beepers she's the boss. And that's a Big reason compared to convincing career women that Working and making big cash for a boss is the epitome of happiness.
But yeah. Miriam needs to feel accomplished.
@@arnowisp6244 that is true. Took a friend of mine almost 10 years for her to pay off her student loans for when she went to university to be a teacher. Then, she couldn't find work anywhere. Luckily, her boyfriend and her got an opportunity to move to Florida and once she moved in, she found work as an elementary school teacher.
@@arnowisp6244 there's nothing wrong with wanting to be a working woman in this day and age. I for one wished I could be a stay at home Mom when I have kids one day but in this day and age, it's probably not feasible since the cost of living has gone through the damn roof. My mom worked for years and even after having me, she brought me along to work (she was a housekeeper/former nanny) and then stopped after having my sister.
I’ve always loved Helga as a character. Some things she’s gone through I relate to my own life. I was around the age she is in the show when I watched it and now at 31 I’m amazed at how much I can still relate to this character. Some parts made me cry and others definitely made me laugh.
It’s also really sad that when she was walking to preschool alone in what is essentially New York City, she really could have disappeared. She could’ve been kidnapped, she could’ve been killed, or even worse.
And the only person who would’ve cared is probably Olga
Watched the whole thing. LOVED IT. Hey Arnold was always special to me, I was also a girl with a unibrow who had a slightly obsessive crush on the first friend I ever made. I also LOVE Arnold as a person and the characters in the story. Thank you for helping me fold 2 hours worth of clothes and cleaning. BRILLIANT. You should be proud. Thank you for the excellent content.
I love helga I always related to her so hard. When your not a conventionally attractive woman which is not on pedestaled in society but almost a requirement to be treated with an ounce of humanity… anyway it’s easy to lash out with aggression and anger when you feel like your constantly judge for things that are out of your control
I finally finished this video and I’m kind of surprised the episode where Miriam and helga go on a road trip wasn’t included bc I felt it was also another turning point in their relationship due to at the end helga sees that her mom wants to do her best for helga and take care of them and also has a whole other life that she has lived outside of the drunk mom she’s portrayed as
You know it's odd whenever your own kid calls you by your first name. That's just how upset Helga is at her parents when she refers to them by their first names at times. She doesn't even view them as her parents all the time
Why should she!? They arn't there for her. They don't "parent" her. Half the time it's like they act like she isn't even around. Honestly I don't think they deserve the title of "Mom and Dad"
They're all basically just roommates, and the best (or worst?) part is that neither Bob nor Miriam seem to care either.
@@Lucailey To be fair to Helga, they often refer to her as "the Girl", from what I can tell in this video. I didn't watch much Hey Arnold as a kid.
Watching this made me realize that Arnold really does love Helga, he tries to make her a better person. I never noticed, thats was really cool.
i relate to both olga and helga so much. i started my life as an olga, perfect grades, smart, musically and artistically talented, and super social. i was the perfect child compared to my older siblings, some of whom were nearly adults by the time i entered grade school.
i was the golden child until i was a teen and started developing mental illness. my grades dropped, i started getting aggressive and isolating, and my dad specifically started a cycle of emotional neglect that made everything worse. i also hyperfixated on relationships with boys, jumping between them at breakneck speed, making myself grow up way to fast in that aspect of my life. i was putting myself in situations that were too adult, too risky, or even downright dangerous.
my little brother became the favorite, and it made me resent him even though it wasn't his fault at all. i've experienced firsthand how being the favorite and the forgotten one messes you up in a neglectful enviornment. it took a LOT of therapy and medication to unwind back down to the point of being a functional adult.
Not sure if you cut it or it was dubbed differently in Spanish, but recall this exchange from the Psychologist episode I was expecting to see in this video:
Big Bob: "I never went to a psychologist when I was a kid"
Helga: "That's obvious, Bob".
1:20:00 I disagree with this take. Feels like what the show writers were alluding to is what commonly happens with alcoholics. Alcoholics will put down one bottle and pick up another. Helga’s mom’s life is unmanageable and in the same way her drinking Takes over her life to an obsessive degree whatever she tries to replace the bottle with the same if she doesn’t get help. She’s just as sick as she’s always been even if she can pretend to be a good mom for a while.
As a psychologist, I love how Helga throws those Rorschach sheets at 14:34, irl these are hella expensive lmao
LOL I assumed she or someone else painted them.
I still can't believe they got away with the line "You make my girlhood tremble."
Edit: this is twice where I've thought "I wonder when his next video is coming" and the next day: boom, there it is.
What does that even mean?
@@emmahollow8898 the female equivalent of getting an erection.
@@emmahollow8898 She's feeling sexual feelings for Arnold... Her "girlhood" is her privates most likely. It's a sex joke
@@emmahollow8898 she's talking about how she feels sexually (girlhood is referring to her genitals) about arnold
@@emmahollow8898 🥵🥵
Looks like guilt is Helga's kryptonite. On some level, she seems like a sociopath, but when guilt hits her, she actually tries to push past her aggressive façade born from her situation and actually tries to be a good person.
They pay attention to Olga because she does want the parents expect her too. She is everything they wanted to be which is why they treat her distastefully whenever she does something for herself or something they don’t approve of. Helga doesn’t behave the way they want her to, so she gets ignored. There’s so much to unpack with Helga’s storyline. That’s why she’s one of my favorite characters.
One correction: the therapist was the third person Helga told about her love of Arnold, not the second. She told Lila in the season 3 episode "School Play" (and that was probably before she told Phoebe, since she manipulated her in order to get her to drop out of the role of Juliet, instead of just asking her if she could have the role so she could kiss Arnold).
And since you said to comment if we watched all the way through to the end of the video - yes, I did. Both of these videos were great.